


Dark tides and darker things

by San_of_the_forest



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Betrayal, Death-T, F/M, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-24 07:05:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 68,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6145561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/San_of_the_forest/pseuds/San_of_the_forest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dark things are appearing from the shores on the night of a blood moon. Things that creep up from the bowls of the sea and snatch people back into its depths. People are beginning to disappear. Urgent messages are sent to Magnolia from across all towns along the coasts of The Dark Sea. The Draugr are rising.  Thinking fast, Makarov splits the guild into groups of two and sends Evergreen and Elfman Strauss to the far western end of The Dark Sea. Elfman for his advance knowledge in monsters, and Evergreen for her knowledge in ancient runes and history, acquired by traveling with Freed. However, what happens when the pair are isolated in the coldest reach of The Dark Sea? Sinister things happen in sinister places, and everything in the town may not be as it seems. This journey tests the bond of friendship between this unlikely pair, and tests the unnameable bond that has been growing since their partnership on Tenroujima. Bonds are flexible but are easily broken too, and will Evergreen say something that shatters their bonds for good? And one of them may not survive this journey...<br/>(All characters and settings belong to Hiro Mashima).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Makarov

I scowled as the blood moon mocked me from above for the third night in a row. The lunar eclipse lasted for three nights. The first; a red tide swept across the moon and slowly inched across it as the night progressed. The second; the sky was dominated by a full moon that was like a drop of blood from a sky god. And finally the third night, and the tide of blood was creeping away until the moon was pale apart from a bloody ring at it's very edge. Like a broken nail.   
"Bloody eclipse!" I snarled from his perch on a windowsill. I am in my chambers right above the guild hall, yet it gave me no peace. It was unusual for me to seek solitude. 'This damn thing has troubled the land and me...'. Wolves howled at night to the moon as did other darker creatures, begging it to leave or stay no one can tell. Vulcans stayed holed up in their caves and trees, cowering from the moon. And not a single creature approached the sea in this time. But it wasn't only troubling the creatures of the land. I noticed it was effecting Elfman. It was mild and only temporary, but as the wave of red crossed the moon Elfman grew more and more agitated, and on the second night it effected him physically. His eyes turned blood red, his pupils narrowed like a wolfs. Making him an albino in all but skin colour for the night. His nails grew hard, sharp and long. His hair longer and thicker, he never stepped foot inside at that time and preferred to sit under a tree to gaze upon the moon and breathe. His sisters worried and sat with him long into the night, trying to speak to him, but he ignored their words. Until I approached them in the cold winter night.

"It's the blood moon that is effecting his beast soul" I had said. Elfman glanced at me and dug grooves into the snow with his long claws.

"Okay that makes sense, but it wont effect him permanently?" Lisanna asked. I noticed Elfman's now pointy ears twitched at the sound of her voice.

"No it should fade over a few days after the blood moon, maybe even immediately. It effects him because it rises his beast blood".

"Um okay. But why doesn't he speak?" Mirajane had asked. Elfman now turned to her and bared his teeth. They had turned into huge fangs that had barely fit inside his mouth. 

"He would probably bite his tongue out if he tried" I tried sympathetically, and Elfman returned to polishing his claws in the snow. "Let him rest" I continued, "I don't think he would want you two freezing yourselves just to sit with him". Elfman turned to his two sisters and nodded.

"Okay but Elfman don't do anything silly" Mirajane had demanded and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't catch cold now". Elfman smiled at her, his canines pocking out from his upper lip and pressed his palm into the snow, the snow hissed and melted away until grass was visible. His blood has risen to boiling from the blood moon. "Oh" Mirajane giggled an pulled Lisanna up.

"Take care Elf-nii chan!" Lisanna called and the two walked away to the guild which was banging and crashing in the quiet night. I smiled at Elfman as he continued to stare at the moon and polish his claws. It was uncanny watching a beast soul mix with the human soul this night. However I noticed that Elfman's red eyes looked at this moon, almost like Elfman's blue eyes sometimes look at a certain green fairy. However there was some unnameable difference between the two looks. Was it bewitchment he saw in the red eyes? And was it endearment he saw in the blue eyes? I couldn't tell. 

I shake my head and returned to the present, old eyes focusing of the bloody nail of a moon. "You are starting something aren't you" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "It started with Elfman like a warning. And now I bet you are clawing up something from the darkness" an image of Elfman's claws digging in the snows flashed in my mind. A blood moon hadn't occurred in many hundred of years in Fiore or so Levy says. And any text or history she could find on the matter was vague or half destroyed over the years.

"It says....I don't know, something about a 'turning'..." Levy explained and ran her forefinger over the old runes on a stone tablet during the second night.

"A turning? What's that gonna mean Shrimp" Gajeel asked over her shoulder. "The only one I see who is turning is Elfman". All three of us looked out the window and watched Elfman as he stared at the moon and polished his claws continuously on the bitterly cold snow.

"That's temporary..." I began, when Elfman suddenly looked at the window. The light reflected off of his eyes like a dogs, catching the light of the bloody moon. The rest of his face was shadowed and his body dark. The eyes peered at them like headlights. Levy swallowed and shivered under the gaze.  
"It's alright child" I pulled the two from the window. "He just senses us looking and is looking back" Elfman returned his gaze to the moon and I just hear the crunch of his claws passing through the snow.

"I don't like it" Gajeel muttered.

"Neither do I" Levy muttered sympathetically. "But it says something else...'Dark tide'...".

"Dark tide? What like the sea?" Patherlily jumped on Levy's shoulder.

"That's what confuses me. The character for 'tide' is partially broken. I can't tell if it says 'tide' or 'tidings'..." Levy trailed off.

"And those words could mean two completely different meanings!" I ran his hand over my mustache in frustration. Tugging angrily on the coarse hair.

"Master, whatever Levy is reading happened hundreds of years ago. That doesn't mean it will happen again" Happy flapped up to me jovially. "Here have a fish" the cat dumped a small slimy fish in my hand. It was all I took not to scowl.

"I like you optimism cat" I smiled at the flying cat and politely placed the dead fish on a table. 'But with dark omens and changes among our own people' I thought and glanced at Elfman. 'Optimism from young green cats isn't something we should put our faith into...Especially with this sinister history'.

I shook my head and returned to the present. "Tide. Or tidings. Those words mean all the difference", I supped my beer. "The word 'dark' though...There is an ocean called The Dark Sea. And there is an old saying 'dark tidings'...Both are relevant. Maybe both are related" tapping my mug I look at my hands. They were old and liver spotted, marked with thin silver scars and dark blue veins, each wrinkle a passage in the book of my life.  
"Maybe I'm just an old and paranoid fool that stares at shadows too long. Shadows that may not even be there" the mage thought of The Dark Sea again. "That isn't something to take lightly, strange things happen there...Strange drownings, strange creatures, strange people. Perhaps it is something to look into..." I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes and my head snapped around again. A large figure with thick spiky hair stepped out from under the tree and crunched forward and through the snow. I breathed a sighed of relief and felt my pent up nerves ease slightly. I placed my mug on the window sill.  
"Ah Elfman I see you have finished your moon gazing" I called from my perch with a slight smile stretched on my face. Light glinted over Elfman's eyes as he nodded.  
"Still can't speak huh?". Elfman shook his head and pulled his lips apart. Murky moonlight bounced off of his sharp and long teeth that made him mute.  
"They should turn to normal soon" Elfman smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. His claws also sparkled in the light. "And your claws too". Elfman turned to the blood moon again and I watched as steam poured from his mouth as he sighed. I frowned at Elfman and wondered if he was feeling anything ominous that could foreshadow a dark future. 'It could be just a lunar eclipse, or it might not be...'.

"Elfman are you feeling-" the old man stopped when he heard a knock on the door.

"Master" A light and honest voice called from beyond the door. I notice Elfman's ears twitch at the voice and his red eyes blink in surprise. "May I come in?".

"Yes come in child" I half turned and watched the door. A person that can only be described as the epitome for womanliness walked into the room, holding a black envelope in her elegant hands. She has breasts that could match Lucy's, a perky arse and hips that match and better Levy's and is hypnotizing to watch as she moved. And long shapely legs that rivaled even Juvia's sexy length. The only thing that separated her from all three was her hair. Which was fairly less outstanding compared to Lucy's sunshine yellow, and Levy and Juvia's bright sky blue locks. The woman's hair was dark chocolate brown and fairly ordinary compared to the other three, and rolled in waves down her back like a glossy waterfall, making up for colour in length and luster.   
'Oh yes, this generation of female wizards are certainly more...Alluring than mine' I thought as Evergreen of the Raijinshuu approached, she had clearly just returned from one of her long missions with her team. Evergreen smiled sincerely down at me, her respect given more for being the grandfather of her team leader than me being one of the ten wizard saints.

"Good evening Makarov sorry for interrupting you..."Evergreen trailed off as she saw the familiar figure standing in the snow not ten meters away from the window. "Elfman?" I swear I saw her eyes soften briefly as she said his name. But they quickly hardened up.  
"Why the hell are you outside in the snow?!" Evergreen shouted down and Makarov flinched at her loudness. Elfman just shrugged.   
"Jesus aren't you cold?!" the young lady shouted and wrapped her thick coat tighter around her. Elfman shook his head. He was only clad in his dark blue shirt, made of thin material. "Oh that is bull shit!" Evergreen swore and leaned further out. "I've been outside dressed warmer than you and even I felt the cold make my bones rattle! So quit acting tough and come inside!". I felt a slight smile tug at my old lips as he observed her. Before I never understood Evergreen's hobby for yelling at Elfman, but since I saw that soft look in her eyes hidden behind her glasses, I may have an idea...

"Evergreen, it's the blood moon" I pointed to the last of the red waves as it inched its way back from the moon. "It has raised his beast soul and because of this he has been watching the moon for this night and the last" a wolf howled eerily to the moon, as if to prove my point. "Oh...I've been watching that moon on the way back from Crocus" Evergreen sighed up at the moon and looked at Elfman. "But you have been out there for nearly forty-eight hours? Aren't you at least hungry?" Evergreen's voice was steel as she placed the letter to the side. Elfman nodded vigorously and I felt happiness or some other emotion stir my belly as the two didn't break eye contact as they watched each other in a rare moment of silence.   
"Why can't you speak?" Evergreen asked. Elfman moved forward suddenly and jumped up twenty feet onto the window sill, nearly knocking me off and startling Evergreen. 

"Oi! Elfman watch it!" I scold and just caught my beer from falling off. Elfman opened his mouth and showed his teeth to Evergreen who blinked in surprise and disgust. 

"Fuck you let your teeth get out of whack" Evergreen grimaced. Elfman shrugged sheepishly and scratched his scarred face. "Oh and your nails! Jesus Elfman what the fuck! They look like claws! Honestly if you can't take care of yourself...".

"Evergreen..." I tried to interrupt.

"Then I don't see how you are going to live long...".

"Evergreen...".

"I swear you make me so mad!".

"Evergreen!" I bopped her sharply on the head and she stopped. "This isn't his fault. It's the blood moon, It has raised his beast soul to the surface and has altered his appearance temporarily. He will be fine. In fact" I stood up and looked at Elfman's eyes. "His eyes may be returning to normal". As the last dregs of the red wave pulled away so did the red in his eyes, leaving a stunning blue.

"Oh..." Evergreen rubbed the top of her head and shuffled her feet. 

'I think Evergreen just likes shouting at him to have an opportunity to talk with him' it was strange that I felt so curious about the two but then I shook my head. 'No, if Evergreen just wanted to talk to him she would, she isn't one to bulk from a thought of speaking to a guy. He must genuinely annoy her...' the soft look of hers flashed through my memory and I looked more closely between the two. 'Or not...'. Despite the fact that Elfman was being yelled at he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. Shaking my head I pulled my head from the cloud of young love and looked at the black envelope to Evergreen's side.

"Evergreen, where did you get that letter?" I gestured to the black letter.

"A strange man in Crocus recognized Laxus while we were there. He gave this letter to us to give to you. He said something about giving it to you himself but his town needed him back before it was too late..." Evergreen trailed off and her eyes grew distant in memory.

"What did he look like child?" I felt his stomach begin to worry as he eyes the black parchment, sealed with a pure white blob of wax.

"He was...He was..." Evergreen blinked. "Dark. He was completely covered with dark cloaks, and furs, some of them look like rags. We couldn't see his face and his hands looked near dead. Like his skin was stretched to tight over his bones. His skin was even black, like the night sky".

Worms dug into my stomach and that shadow of unease on my back grew darker.  
"Give it here girl".  
The parchment was rough and leathery, made for use far more arduous that a simple letter. 'Why couldn't they send a simple lacrima?' I turn the letter over and look at the white wax seal and my heart nearly stopped. Pressed into the wax was the imprint of a barren tree.  
"R'gnarsher" the words flew from my mouth before I could stop them. 'That's why they couldn't send a Lacrima...' .

"Rignerrshair?" Evergreen butchered the name with her untrained tongue.

"No R'gnarsher" I could hardly feel my heart thumping and barely heard Evergreen's words. A clicking noise filled the air.

"What or where is R'gnarsher?" Elfman voice was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on my head. Clicking filled the room and Makarov watched sternly and Elfman crouched tightly on the window sill, his teeth and claws retracting back into place. Looking at his expression, somewhat painfully.

"R'gnarsher is a village located at the very center of the The Dark Sea bay" I explain. "And that's why they didn't send a lacrima. Their magic is primitive but powerful and they don't have the resources to buy lacrimas". I ignore their further questions and snap the wax seal in two and fold out the paper. 'Dark paper, dark words' I thought superstitiously. The blotted white ink used to craft the words filled my vision, and as my eyes near the end of the page dread and horror filled me to the bone. Jumping down from the sill I nearly screw the paper up into a ball and shouted at the moon.

"DAMN YOU, YOU BLASTED CURSE!".

"Makarov what's wrong?!" Elfman stood up next to Evergreen.

"I knew that damn thing was starting something, that damn blood moon!" anger and fear for anybody living near or in The Dark Sea made me shake with fury. 

"Master!" Evergreen exclaimed and looked anxious.

Calming myself, I shook the paper at the two of them. "Dark tides, dark tidings, there is no difference. They are both true. Dark tides and darker things".

"Master?" Elfman extended his hand, "let me see".

Sighing I reach up and handed the leathery paper to Elfman and watched his face grow pale.

"Draugr..." Elfman gasped and let the paper fall.

"Aye the Draugr are rising to the blood moon" the words stuck in my throat and Evergreen raised a brow. 

"Draugr? What are those?".

"Elfman do you know much about monsters?" I ask and the tall man shoots me a look.

"That's like asking if a florist knows much about flowers". Elfman rubbed his pale face and stared at the parchment. "They are un-dead things of the sea Ever. Men and Woman died at sea and their ghosts inhabit their own bones and lye dormant. Waking only to kill other living things and eat them".

"What?!" Evergreen looked aghast and looked at the moon which thankfully returned to normal. "And they rose because of that?!".

"If it effected me it will sure as hell effect them" Elfman nodded and looked at the paper. "They have already killed..."

Sickness filled my stomach and I shuddered at the dreadful news written on the paper. 'Those poor children'.

"Who have they killed?" Evergreen demanded but couldn't bring herself to look at the paper.

"Two children, not related and living close to the shore in R'gnarsher " I explain and pull out a map from the pile on my desk. Scanning the leather, my old eyes slowly pick out a strip of land and the little dot with the name R'gnarsher strapped to its side like a burden. Pointing to the spot I look solemnly a the two young ones. "One ten years old, the other only three".

"Only three!" Evergreen covered her mouth with her slim hand and gasped. "That's horrible...How?..." She couldn't continue.

"The letter says they were dragged from their beds and out the window, the parents only finding this from broken windows shattered inwards and their beds or cribs shattered to pieces" I explain and roll up the map and felt my heart tug painfully. 'Those poor children...' .

"But, how do they know about the Draugr?" Evergreen shivered and Elfman closed the window for her. 

"Their bones were found on the rocks of The Dark Sea, but they were as dark as ink and picked clean, some bones snapped...". '  
I couldn't bring myself to say 'bones snapped for marrow in front of them'. 

Evergreen lent against the wall and looked at Elfman. "Only three...". Evergreen calmed herself and looked at me. "How does that explain that it's Draugr? Someone could've taken them for ransom money and threw them into the sea when they realized the parents couldn't pay?".

I took a long and mean pull of the beer and felt the bitter barely match my bitter mood. 'A fine old ale, for a less fine old man'.

"Because Evergreen dear child. On the second night when the blood moon was full. The children's bones began to walk again".


	2. Evergreen

'Three years old' I thought to myself. 'How can such a terrible thing happen to a three and a ten year old' I leaned against the wall just as Makarov began to walk up the stage to address the guild. Is it such a bad thing that I can only count that as one of many bad things I've seen or heard in this world? Why am I not surprised that terrible things like this can happen?

"Ever" a strong voice said. Turning my head I glanced into Elfman's cobalt blue eyes and were relieved that they were no longer red. If I'm the epitome of womanliness then he must be the epitome of manliness. He stood tall and proud, well over six feet tall. Broad chest and large shoulders to even him out. He is shredded underneath this thin blue shirt with the kanji 'greatest' on his back. I hate to admit I look far more than I should when his shirt is off. He shared his thick white hair with his sisters. However it is longer than usual and wasn't quite spiked up like a super saiyan, probably due to the blood moon. It was now almost past the nape of his neck, to his shoulder blades, but still kinda spiky. In my opinion it had more body than his sisters. His skin was dark brown, unlike his sisters, if it is his natural skin colour or he has a permanent tan I don't know. His eyes, fuck I've already described his eyes. They are always blue. A different blue to suit his moods. Right now they were deep sea blue, showing his trouble from the latest and terrible news. Hell his whole body is just a pallet of contrasting colours. What I've described pretty much sounds like the perfect guy, but the only problem is his face. Don't get me wrong he is not exactly unattractive. But if you put him in a room next to hot guys like Gray, Natsu, Laxus and Loke, no girl would even look at him. Something twinged in my stomach as I realized he already knows this. That was probably the reason he talks only to people he knows at events like Balls and Dances and doesn't really talk to other girls. Shit, I didn't pick him to be someone self-conscious of under confident. Jeez why do I feel so bad?  
We stood at the back of the stage behind Makarov and were waiting for him to tell the guild the situation. It was mostly private back here but still I felt uncomfortable being so close to him. It's not like I'm repulsed by him...It's just an uncomfortable feeling that makes me feel as if I'm stupid or act like I care for him. I'm just fine going with the reputation of being the green bitch of Fairy Tail with a stone heart to match her eyes. That doesn't mean I have to like it, but it sure as hell beats having a rep of being that crying useless girl always being saved by the men around her. I'm not about to let Elfman fuck that up for me. 

"What?" I bite and looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"They are monsters Ever, I know it's a terrible thing they did. But it's what they do" Elfman tried to explain but was having trouble using the right words. 

"I know, they are awful creatures that act on instinct. And just do as they please. They can't be tamed by anyone or anything and kill as they want..." I trail off as I catch his eyes again. Oh shit... He has a beast soul.

"Yeah most of them are like that" Elfman replied and looked at his feet, shame glowing in his eyes.

Guilt hooked its claws in my belly. Great more emotions created from this tool. I do have to say something. "Some monsters aren't like that though, right?" am I comforting him? 

Something glinted in his blue eyes and they suddenly looked like they were pulled from the sky on a hot summers day. "No some can be pretty manly too".

"Just a few, I suppose. Have you met any?" I'm not gonna out right say that he is a good guy and not a monster.

"Can't say yet. Probably one day though. Maybe".

There was a long pause. It was actually oddly nice to have a pleasant conversation with him without yelling. It almost takes me away from what Makarov was saying. 

"Listen up you incompetent brats!" Makarov shouted the last word and his voice rang in my ears.

"We are in a state of dire emergency! Dead things from the sea are beginning to walk and are taking the living!".

"Taking the living?" Lucy called from her table. Makarov turned to Elfman and nodded at him. A soft sigh rolled past me and the large man stepped up past me and into the view of the guild.

"They are Draugr" Elfman said plainly. Muffled whispers echoed through the hall.

"...Elfman is back to normal..."

"...Draugr?..."

"...Maybe it's to do with the blood moon..."

"...Why did Elfman change?..."

"...What happened to him?..."

'Give the guy a break' I think and rub my temples. 'Even he doesn't quite know'

"Draugr are sea wraiths that remain in their corpses. They only leave the sea to hunt down anything with warm blood and eat it" the only Strauss male said and crossed his arms.

"So you mean eating people don't you?" Laxus drawled from the bar.

"Pretty much". Whispers turned into a hum of voices calling out to each other.

"How the hell are these things appearing?" Gray asked.

"All we know is that it has something to do with the blood moon and The Dark Sea. What ever the moon has done it has woken something long dead" Makarov stepped in.

"Draugr..." I hear Levy whisper. Turning I see Levy pick up her old stone tablet and run her hand over one symbol. "That could be what this symbol means!" she exclaimed. "The tablet says" Levy stood up.   
"The red moon brings a 'turning' of 'Draugr' unto land. Dark tides -or tidings- takes breath and flesh away from man. Bones shall tread, until the First's famine is slacked, where he shall sleep again and turn all black bones back".

'Oh fuck that's creepy' I shiver and watch Makarov and Elfman.

"Levy is there anymore of the tablet?" the old man demands. 

"No this is the only piece of the tablet I could find. The rest is broken or gone" Levy slumped back in her seat dejectedly. "It's just some stupid riddle with no answer..." 

"It may mean nonsense, but this is also what we do know" Makarov says. I look up and watch the other guild members reactions. "The Draugr are appearing in The Dark Sea and are attacking villages along its shore. One of these villages are called 'R'gnarsher'. The corpses of two children have already been found". 

I swallow back bile and barely hear the orchestra of gasps.  
"There are five villages along this shore despite how big the coast of The Dark Sea is. I have my suspicions that Levy's tablet originated from one of these five villages".

'Where did he get that idea?' I eye our guild master and look at the tablet in Levy's hand. 'Maybe the runes belong to the people of these villages and the other lost tablets could be found there'

"Because of this I will be sending to The Dark Sea, five teams of two. Each consisting of a mage who has basic or advanced knowledge in ancient runes. And a mage who can fight in close quarters who would work well with their partner-" Makarov was cut off by Natsu. 

"Wait old man how do we actually kill these things?" Natsu bellowed.

"You can't" Elfman said. I blink in surprise, 'we can't kill them? Then how are we supposed to stop them?'.

"They are un-dead" he continues. "If you burn them to ash they will reform themselves. If you smash them, they will pull themselves back together. If you freeze them into a block of ice...Well actually that might work but they will get out one day". I roll my eyes as Gray claps in the distance.

'This isn't about you, you waste of life' I glare at Gray until he shivers and sits back down. 'That's right bitch...'

"There might be something on the other tablets, if they exist, that can tell us how to kill them. Draugr are very rare, and use not very manly and spooky magic on people to lure them closer when they are in the ocean" Elfman explained. "Don't go near the ocean, I can't stress that enough!" 

"This is an S rank mission!" Makarov yelled. "I will only send people I believe competent enough for the job! People are dying and the seas are no longer safe!".  
"Team one will be Levy and Gajeel. You will go to the town 'Vetur Tök' on the east coast!". I felt a smirk twitch my lips as I saw Levy blush at Gajeel. Serves the two right to be together for this mission. 'The big bad iron dragon slayer wont let anything happen to his little Shrimp', I think to myself.

"Team two will be Loke and Lucy. Lucy I believe Levy has taught you the fundamentals of ancient text?" Makarov asked.

"Yup can't wait to test my skills" Lucy gave Loke a high five.

"Wait why can't I go with Luce?!" Natsu shouted.

"Because you will burn the whole damn village to the ground instead of saving it!" Makarov snarled back at Natsu. "You will stay here and help the others defend other coast lines!".

''Cause that's exactly what other coasts need, burning towns and Draugr...'.

"Anyway Lucy, Loke. You will go to the village called Falinn. It is further along the east coast and is closer to the third town" Makarov continued. 

"Bickslow, Freed. You will go to the town called Rifið flói". A shock went straight through my body. 'Bickslow and Freed?! Why wasn't I included?!' the terrible feeling of betrayal burned through me until steam was surely pouring out of my ears. Anger bunched tight in my stomach.  
'Am I not powerful enough to go?! Am I the weak link of the Raijinshuu?! I want to help just as much as anyone here!'.

"Wait master!" Freed spoke up. A flare of hope rose in my chest. Freed was going to speak up for me!

"Wouldn't it be better if me a Laxus went to Rifið flói? He is the strongest fighter of the Raijinshuu!".

"Very well Laxus you will go with Freed"Makarov said. 

It felt as if all my breath left me. Freed...he didn't even consider me. Am I not strong enough for them?! I know that Laxus is far more powerful than me, but to be not even glanced at...He acted as if I didn't exist. I felt eyes on me and look up to meet Elfman's sunshine blue eyes looking sympathetically into mine. He was looking me in the eyes. I can count the number of people that look me in the eyes one one hand, even if my eyes are protected. Any other day it may make me feel gratitude, or something that I don't know if I want to feel... But I don't want his sympathy, his family hasn't rejected him in favor for another. I let my mask settle on my face and stare at the door at the other end of the room. Let them see if I care. I hear footsteps approach.

"Very well Laxus you will go with Freed"Makarov said.

"...Ever" Elfman's voice was deep and probing in my ears.

"What?!" I snapped.

"...Maybe...Maybe Freed just doesn't want to put you in danger-"

"Oh yeah because I'm a fucking scared little girl in every dangerous situation were put in!" I snap at him but I don't look at him anymore.

"Look I understand-"

"No I don't think you do!" I growl under my breath. 'This is just like Tenroujima. Freed picks Bickslow over me and doesn't give me a second thought!'.

"Jeez I was only trying to help!" Elfman snapped and walked further away from me.  
'Ha to think we were having a civil conversation five minutes ago!" I squeeze my hands into fists until I feel my nails bite into my palms. Then I remember. Lisanna picked to go with Juvia instead of Elfman in the S-class exams.  
'Dammit I shouldn't have snapped at him. He does understand...'

"The fourth team to go to The Dark Sea will be, Mirajane and Erza" Makarov continued.  
'Great the all powerful and false Titania goes with Elfman's demon sister!' Bitterness built up in me, those two out shine any others was once paired together. Even if they did nothing at all to progress the mission everyone will fawn over them and they will be the center of attention.   
'Mirajane I have respect for, but me and Elfman easily outwitted her on Tenroujima. If Erza swings a sword and puts on some armor she is suddenly Miss Universe and a pillar of society!'.   
"You two shall go to R'gnarsher yourselves" Makarov broke her train of thought.  
'They even go to the place where the Draugrs first started to appear! Sure they are the most powerful team out of the four so far...Why am I such a bitter woman?...'

The last thought was like a bullet to the head. 

'I am bitter aren't I. Bitter that my family picks each other over me. Bitter that people only see me as a cold heart bitch. I do care for people!' Footsteps thudded closer and I must have let some of my misery show on my face because suddenly Elfman was closer. He didn't say anything. He was as silent as the grave, but his presence was there. He was there. It was more than I could say for the Raijin as they were busy smiling at each other and discussing plans. Bickslow not caring that Freed asked to be with Laxus. 

"The fifth team shall go to Hryggð which is at the west end of The Dark Sea Bay. And that team is Elfman and Evergreen". 

The biggest bucket of ice water was dumped over my head. Suddenly all eyes of the guild were on us. Me and Elfman. Standing quite close to each other, at the very back of the room.   
'Oh fuck....'  
Makarov turned slowly and looked at us, an evil glint in his eye.

"There will be no objections I hope?" There was something stern in his voice that would broke no objections even if there was a very good reason. Whispers filled the room and Levy smirked at me and eyed the small space between me and Elfman.  
'Oh that five foot cow! If she makes rumors...' My thought stops as Elfman politely slinks further away and just nods at Makarov.

"Good..." Makarov looked very pleased with himself. It was all I could take not to drop kick that little gnome into The Dark Sea. Of course he had to put us two together. There was enough rumors going around about us after Tenroujima and he just had to stick his hands into the mess. Screw being Laxus's grandfather, he is in my bad books. Voices began murmuring to themselves (most likely about us) and Makarov coughed to regain their attention.   
"Right all ten of you need...". I lose focus. I tried too keep my glare at the center of the door but I couldn't. My eyes slowly drag to the left. Elfman's summer sky blue eyes had turned into sapphires and were looking into my own out of the corner of his eye. 

'What are you thinking?' I myself thought as Elfman suddenly stiffened when our eyes met and his ears went red.  
"What?" I hissed between my lips.

"What?" Elfman hissed back and I felt my own cheeks heat up.

"What do you mean 'what'?" I demand. Elfman sighed and rubbed his face. 

"Well at least you're going on the mission now right?" the man relented.

"Yeah" I sigh. "I...I dunno".

"You can tell me" Elfman said sincerely.

"I just wished Freed stuck up for me that's all" I mutter. 

"...You are okay going with me right?" Elfman's voice was softer than normal. 

"It's not like I have a choice!". Ouch. Even I wince at my tone...and my words. Elfman's back stiffened and I feel my guts wrench in guilt. "Look that's not what I meant...".

"Seems it was exactly what you meant!" Elfman growled and squared his shoulders. I swallow my guilt. 

'It's not like he will listen to me now anyway...' my insides gnawed at me to apologize but I ignored it and focused on Makarov.

"You will need to leave immediately. You have an hour to prepare before you go to the docks to organize transport" Makarov said.

"Old man, traveling by sea is probably the worst possible idea" Elfman growled. His brow a thundercloud because of me. Makarov turned and glared at Elfman. 

"The Dark Sea bay is a large island in the middle of The Dark sea. The only way to get to it is by boat, Elfman!" Makarov growled.

Elfman sighed and shook his head. "Just great, ignore my advice of avoiding the sea" I hear him mutter under his breath. 

'This guy is getting verbally thrashed today' I thought and once again felt guilty. This isn't his fault. 

"The rest of you need to do as much research you can on the history Levy told us. Particularly the line 'Bones shall tread, until the first's famine is slacked, where he shall sleep again and turn all black bones back'. I want to know what this 'first' is. You all will also guard the other coasts in case Draugr appear on other shores of friendlier seas" Makarov continued.

"How will we know what they look like?" an unknown voice called.

"Trust me" Elfman spoke up. "You will know".

"Alright enough chat!" Makarov howled. "Move!". Chairs screeched against the floor and eight of the ten specially assigned wizards left. Rage and hurt boiled in her as Freed and Laxus left without even glancing at her.

'Well good luck to you two' I felt tears prick my eyes at their unconcern when heavy footsteps trudged past me.

"See you at the docks" Elfman snapped, his back straight as an arrow and his hands tightly clenched. Guilt mingled with hurt and my emotions was a battle ground. 

'Oh grow up and apologize' I scolded myself. Fighting back the last of my tears I step forward and grabbed Elfman's inner elbow.

"Wait" I said. His arm was warm through the thin material. How can one be so warm in winter? he was an oven. Elfman stiffened even further at my touch and his eyes snapped into mine.

"What!"   
I didn't allow his tone to anger me further. 'We both don't need this shit'. 

"I shouldn't have said what I did" I placed my words out carefully like I was dealing a hand in blackjack. I can't make it look like I care too much for him. Or anyone outside the Raijin. Elfman furrowed a brow at me.

"I was just hurt that Freed, Bickslow and Laxus didn't even look at me, or consider me" I sighed and looked him solidly in the eye. "I'm happy that I'm going with you. You would've been my second choice after anyone from the Raijinshuu" Was it just me or did he look disappointed when I said 'second choice'? Whatever I saw in his eyes quickly disappeared and was replaced by a warm friendly glow.

"It's alright, that was a manly apology!" Elfman said jovially.

"Don't call it that!" I hissed. Elfman suddenly looked down and I only now realize that my hand was still holding his arm, just under his large bicep. I snatched my hand away like I just burned it on a pan and felt heat rush to my face. 

"Just hurry up and get ready" I snap at him and run away before he could see the heat in my cheeks. Just as I ran past I Elfman raised his hand and brush his knuckles against my own. Electricity shot up my body and boiled in my stomach, not unpleasantly.  
'Fuck no!' I turn faster than a blink of the eye and smack his hand with my fan before I ran as fast as I could for the door.

'Damn you man!' I bolted for my apartment and ran the fastest I ever had through the snow. The cold made no difference to the warm boiling in my stomach. I lunged up the stairs and barreled into my room before I know I'm there. I ripped a large leather drawstring bag and pack it with the thickest winter furs.

"Damn you!" I shouted my thoughts and kicked my expensive wool inlaid boot across the room. Sighing I walk across the room again and slip the boot over my feet. 

"Please just let this mission go quickly!" I pleaded and watched my face slowly lose the blush painted all over it in the mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, ahh chapter two and the first smatterings of romance. :D those two are too cute for words. I feel more happy with this fic than the others because I feel like I've actually kept the characters in character. Which I thought would've been harder. Anyway leave a like or a comment for Elfman's bicep and I will see you in the next chapter.
> 
> Love San-of-the-forest.


	3. Elfman

'Wow!' I thought and shook my hand. It was throbbing after Evergreen smacked it down. I follow with my eyes her long lithe body as she ran out the door, her hips and arse swaying in the most pleasant way. It was only when she ran out the door, that I regained my senses. 'Why did I have to touch her hand? it wasn't very manly!' The idea to reach out and touch her hand pounced on me like a damn Vulcan the moment she removed her hand from my arm! Even though it wasn't skin on skin, the pressure of her hand on my arm and its warmth made me feel like my spine melted. Embarrassment flooded me. 'Why would it make me feel like that?' Sure it was sudden and unexpected especially after she practically said to me she would rather have any partner rather than me. 'But she did apologize, and I know she meant it. Ever never apologizes if she doesn't want to...' I pace down the stairs and was nearly bowled over by my little sister.

"Elf- nii chan!" Lisanna shrieked in my face and grabbed my shoulders. "Elf-nii chan are you sure you should be going?! I've learnt about monsters just as much as you have and I know Draugr! They're bad news!".

"Yeah little sis I know they are dangerous. And it's not like Makarov gave us any choice either" I explain and rest my hands on her shoulders clad in a thick wool lined leather jacket.

"He let Bickslow change" A sly look entered her eye. "In fact the only two people he forbade to switch partners was you and Evergreen..."  
I twinged with annoyance. Trust Makarov to stir things up even more like this. I need a word with him.

"In fact you almost looked happy being paired with her again..." Lisanna failed to hide a cheeky smile and tapped her lower lip thoughtfully. My annoyance flared to a new level, I quickly pull Lisanna in against my chest and I began to gently noogie her head.  
"Elf-nii chan! My hair" Lisanna shrieked into my ear.

"The only reason I'm paired up with Ever is because Makarov is a cheeky old git that listens too much to rumors" I chided and laughed at her as she struggled.

"Who's a cheeky old git?" and old cankerous voice hailed far below me.'Fuck!' I immediately let go of Lisanna and spin nervously around. Makarov smiled up at me from my knee and tapped his foot expectantly. "Well?". 'Oh fuck'.

"Uh n-no one master" I stammer nervously and my belly gnawed with fear.

"Good..." The master eyed him thoughtfully. "The only reason I paired you with the lovely miss Evergreen...". I felt heat rush up my neck as he drawled the word 'lovely'. "Is because besides bickering, you both preformed exceptionally on Tenroujima. I'm expecting the same results in Hryggð, understand?".

"Yes master" suspicion sneaked through me as he regarded me with cunning eyes.  
"That's the only reason right?" I felt my brow furrow into a frown. 'I should stop frowning. I look even worse when I do...' Unhappiness mixed with the annoyance. 

"Why of course!" Makarov exclaimed dramatically. "However if something were to develop between you and the delightful Miss Evergreen..."

"Makarov!" I growl dangerously and felt my annoyance turn to anger.

"Okay, okay young man. Go get ready" the master paced away.

"Elf-nii chan..." I turn and look softly down at Lisanna. "Please take care!" She whispered and hugged my arm. "You've just had that really freaky change from the blood moon, and now you are traveling across The Dark Sea! I don't like it"

"Hey Lis' I don't like it either. But we have no choice but to travel by sea" I explained, touched that my sister is so concerned for my well being. The blood moon freaked me out too. And the way it had such an effect on me... Throughout the last two nights, my blood sang to howl at the moon and...and hunt things. Rip things up. Kill things... 

"You can't fly?". I blink and return my attention to Lisanna.

I shake my head "there wont be transport that can fly on such short notice".

"Okay..." Lisanna gave my arm a tight squeeze. "You take care of yourself and Evergreen okay" she said sternly. 

"No problem" I give her a gentle squeeze and she hugs me back. "Love you, I will bring you back something okay?"

"Love you too Elf-nii chan" Lisanna pulled away. "Now you should probably get ready".

I ruffle her hair with all my manly affection and begin to walk away. "Don't thrash Natsu too much okay" I shout back.

"Na I will leave you some" Lisanna called back.

I laugh and wave with a smile before I walk outside into the harsh winter. It was like getting a fresh slap to the face as the wind howled past. "Fuck!" I curse and wrap my arms around my chest "going to wear something warmer than this". I sludge through the thick wet snow and make my way inch by inch home. Ever's hand on my arm reappeared in my mind. Dammit she didn't need to hold my arm that long! I glower at the snow and walk faster, there was a queer warm feeling that bloomed through my body and I swear I could still fell her hand on my arm. To make things worse she even caught me looking at her when we were told to be partners. Honestly being put on an official S class mission was a shock, and when I would've felt pride for being chosen, I only felt embarrassed as Makarov made a big song and dance about putting me together with Ever! There were enough people talking about us after Tenrou. And now Makarov would've set that pot of rumors from simmering, to boiling. I'd lost focus on were I was walking and suddenly my feet found themselves at the door of my apartment. Teeth clattering I fumble with the key and barge my way inside and rush for my bedroom. My stomach still felt warm and the memory of me reaching out to touch her hand ran on repeat. I almost wanted to slam my head against the wall. I growl and strip my shirt from my body. I catch my reflection in the mirror. I sigh dejectedly and rub my face. I hate my reflection. Yeah I know that I have a nice body, I have a hard stomach, wide shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. But god my face ruined the whole image and mainly because of my eyes. They're long and narrow, making my eyes look very Japanese, but look almost out of place compared to the rest of my features that were, square, hard and very European. A square jaw held point with a firm set mouth, and an even harder sharp nose. My cheek bones were sharp and wide apart. Making my face look oddly pointy. It made me stand out and not in the good way. I think I'm beginning to hate my face.

"Whatever charm and beauty the gods blessed my sisters, they denied me..." I sighed and moved over to the closet. "Ah fuck it. Beauty fades anyway" I laugh out loud as I imagined everybody reacting to aging. I pull out a thick gray turtle neck and pull it over my myself. Stripping off my pants I replace them with thick black denim jeans, and dark heavy soled shoes made for snow. I pulled out a thick black felt coat with a long tail that rested some were around my thighs and had a high collar. Snatching up my bag I gathered the bare necessities and make off for the door again. I hope Ever has packed warmly...I myself packed extra blankets and clothes. The cold bit my face again but it was nothing compared to what it was before I changed. Jeez I kinda wish my beast soul was still risen. I didn't feel the cold at all like that. The night was eerie. Ever since the last dregs of the blood moon washed away, the once howling monsters of the forests, mountains and fields were as silent as the grave. I felt it heavily like I was being compressed into a small box. Sure I can hear other animals, oblivious to the terror that has woken, teaming around and continuing their nocturnal duties. But it was the complete and utter silence of monsters that I can normally and easily sense their presence that disturbed me. I walked faster and the crunching snow soon gave way to icy cobbles as the quay in Magnolia's bay came into view. Almost everyone of the ten especially assigned wizards were there. Mira-nee and Erza aren't here. That's typical they both pack so much I shrugged my light bag and saw everyone had similarly packed light.

"Hey Elfman, you certainly look warmer...And human again" Loke said at the edge of a warf. Lucy was off next to Gajeel and Levy, probably Levy was giving her last minute lessons on ancient text. 

"I'm not going to go to a dark freezing island without dressing warmer" I snap back. I ignore the comment of looking human. Honestly even I don't know why my beast soul rose with the blood moon. Maybe it's because it effected all other monsters too... I look around and find Ever wasn't here just yet. I sigh and glare at the ocean. "Well this is just stupid!" I growl.

"Because of the Draugr?" I here a voice behind me and turn to see Freed and Laxus walking up the quay. 

"Yeah" I sigh and almost frown at Freed. Did he actually consider how Ever felt?

"Gramps is right" Laxus said nonchalantly. "There is no other transport at this late notice". I just nod and glare at the ocean. There was no tide what so ever. It was like the ocean had turned into a lake. The now full and pale moon was high in the sky and was beginning to be smothered by clouds. The dock descended into smothering darkness. Unease built up inside me. I could just see the outline of our ships pulling up. They sure work fast at Makarov's orders. But that wasn't troubling me. Everything was far to quiet. There was no wind, the ocean was a calm as a puddle, and I felt as if all monsters that I could detect using my beast soul had moved as far away from the ocean as possible. That is not a good sign...

"Hey Elfman. You know a lot about Draugr considering they haven't been around for the last one or two hundred years. How's that?" Gajeel drawled and looked with an already green face as his ship too Venture Tök arrived in the dock.

"I read about them" I sigh and see my own ship arrive for Hryggð.

"I didn't know you could read" Gajeel mocked. Anger flared in me. 

"I don't read in the guild because the cover of even a children's book would terrify you and leave you confused" I growl and Gajeel and smirk as people on the dock giggle.

"Say that again, monster freak!" Gajeel loomed forward.

"Hey Gajeel. Enough" Levy placed a calming hand on his wrist. "Our boat is here. We should go".

"Next time freak!" Gajeel hissed and began to pace away.

"I look forward to it, Gecko" I snarl back. A fight would've been good...Would've made me more relaxed. Both teams Loke and Lucy as well as Gajeel and Levy stumble into their ships and greet the captains. "You guys!" I yell and they all look at me. "Please don't go near the water!". It was silent for a couple of minutes before Lucy spoke. 

"Don't worry Elfman, we promise!" Lucy waved encouragingly as their ship left port. Levy also gave me the thumbs up as their ship sailed away in a slightly different direction from Lucy's. 

"Laxus, our boat to Rifið flói is here" Freed called to the lightning dragon slayer. I look around and find Ever, Erza and Mirajane still aren't here. Ever's miserable and betrayed face flashed through my mind and before I can stop myself I touch Freed's shoulder as Laxus moved their bags on board. "Yes Elfman? Is everything alright?" Freed looked up at me.

I swallow with nerves that surprise me. "It's Ever..."

Freed sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Elfman you can't switch partners-".

I interrupt him before he could finish. "No it's not that. It's...it's" I pause and sigh. "It's when you asked to be partners with Laxus. She was hurt that you or Bickslow or Laxus didn't even look at her or consider her". Freed blinked at me in surprise.

"Well she is going on the mission with you now. There is nothing to be upset about".

Yeah but I'm second choice! I thought bitterly. "I know but before either of us knew we were chosen for the job, she thought that you would consider her as a partner for going on the job..." I trail off. It doesn't seem that Freed was getting the message.

"Yeah well as I said before, she is going on the job now" Freed looked at me confused as if I wasn't getting the message.

"She goes on jobs with us all the time" Laxus appeared behind Freed. "She may actually enjoy doing an S rank job with someone else. And gramps didn't give you or her a choice to switch anyway. Her being upset is pointless". I nearly flinch at Laxus's tone when he said Ever being upset was pointless. It was cold and harsh. Neither of you two and Bickslow were excluded. Bickslow stepped aside because he knew Laxus was more powerful and he was going to be Freed's partner in the first place.  
"Anyway, Freed, C'mon let's go. I don't want to wait around much longer" Laxus grumbled. Freed nodded and looked back up at me.

"Good luck in Hryggð" Freed smiled good gently. 

"And you in Rifið flói or what ever it's called" I replied and pick up my bag for my small ship resting on the dock marked for Hryggð. Freed and Laxus nod and move onto the ship which immediately left the dock as soon as it was on. Some unknown force making it move in the dead water. I sigh and look at the remaining two ships bobbing patiently and look for the moon, still engulfed in the pitch black clouds. The hour was nearly up.  
"Where are you Ever..." I sigh. 

"Here..." a sad voice mumbled. I span around and saw Evergreen pace forward. What's wrong?! I thought. Her shoulders were slumped, her face miserable there was no bounce to her step, and where she normally glided across the ground it was like she was slamming her feet against the ground.

"Ever is everything alright-"

"I'm fine!" Ever nearly shouted at me and walked to the boat.   
She isn't fine...I wonder how long she was in the shadows for... I sigh and follow her onto the boat. The wood was a dark material that was so black it nearly blended in with the black clouds. There was only one light source. Some green luminous writing on the wall of the cabin. Me and Ever move closer to look at it.

"Estimated arrival to Hryggð. Three days" I narrate. 

"Three days?!" Ever groaned. At this point her miserable face was replaced by barely contained anger. "These ships are the fastest auto sailing boats in the world and it will take us three days?!".

Auto sailing...So that's how every ones ships moved. Oh shit we are going to be three days on the sea... I look at the dead calm dock and sigh. "We better get moving then". Ever growled and moved to the door to the cabin. She opens it and nearly slams the door in my face before I slink in behind her.

"Hay watch it!" I snap. She just glares at me threateningly and walks down the cabin to where our rooms should be, her hand held high with her fairy magic lighting the hallway. I feel the boat rock and I can tell we are on our way. The roof hits my as I take a step forward. "Ow dammit!" I swear and hunch myself down. Being close to seven feet tall was a real pain in the ass. 

"Fuck!" I here Ever curse. Moving faster I find her at the end of the hall where there was only three doors .

"What is it?" I ask.

"Look!" she hissed. She opened door number one; which was stocked nicely with food for three days. Well that's nothing to swear over. She opened door number two which had a sinister looking toilet.

"I can see why you swore" I frown at the lavatory.

"That's not just it" Ever growled. She opened door number three on the left. Inside was two beds. One bedroom, two beds, and no screen for privacy. And no other cabin with sleeping quarters. 

"Oh fuck" I swear as well. Ever turns and looks at me what. "What?".

"Well we are going to have to find somewhere for you to sleep!". My jaw drops.

"Like where?!" I snap. She looks at the kitchen. "Oh hell no. That is like an ice box. And this ship is cold enough already!". Ever begins to turn to look at the toilet. "Don't even go there!" I growl, I notice my breath was beginning to steam. I step around her and walk into our bedroom. Evergreen starts in anger and I dump my bag on the bed closest to the door. "Look!" I say before she could get her piece in. "Let's just be happy that there are two beds!" I walk to a closet by the door and sighed in relief to see a spare and large blanket inside. I pick it up and stretch it out to full length.

"What are you doing?!" Ever snapped. I ignore her and used a takeover spell on my hand until there was a a very sharp claw on one of my hands. I punch a hole through the thin wool material roughly every thirty centimeters and hold it up to the wall where a candle hook used to be. I slip a hole over the twisted metal still in place, and I do the same for the candle holder on the roof and the one on the opposite end of the room. The cabin room was very small so the blanket made a very good curtain across its center. Giving Ever her privacy. I turn around and face Ever who was looking at the floor. "Happy now?". Ever didn't say anything and just stepped around the curtain and sat on her bed. She let the fairy light float up where it rested on the roof. I could see her silhouette but not her.  
"Ever..." I pause as she said nothing. "Are you alright?".

"I'm fine" Ever replied with a dead voice.

'If fine' The words echo in my head. When ever a woman says she is fine, you really know she is not I thought and felt something sad stir in me. I want to comfort her. But will she let me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three, yay. Did you all enjoy it? I definitely feel I am keep Elfman and Ever more in character this time. When I got Elfman to narrate what his face looks like. I tried to imagine what he would look like in real life. We all can tell Hiro Mashima draws Elfman slightly different from the rest of his male characters so I used this to compare him to the other guys.   
> Any way read, review, enjoy. And thank you for reading.
> 
> Love San-of-the-forest.


	4. Evergreen

I was leaning over the rail of the ship and was miserably watching the once blue waters slowly turn black. It was the second day on board this ship and we were only now beginning to enter the dark sea. An auto sailing boat like this, at top speeds like it is, travels at one hundred and fifty knots an hour. That's two hundred and twenty seven kilometers per hour. You can understand why I'm annoyed it's taking us this long to get too Hryggð. I look up and glare at the sun as it weakly tried to force it's light through the dark swollen clouds smothering the sky.

"Why can't you warm this damn ship up!" I whisper and felt my eyes prickle as I looked back into the water. The evening me and Elfman left was the worst day of my life...

****

I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk to the docks. I feel better, I feel warm in my new clothes. 

Maybe I should talk to Freed. Just so he knows I okay going with Elfman and to wish him luck.  
Something warm was still twisting in my stomach after Elfman brushed his fingers against my hand, and it was almost giving me confidence or some energy to talk to Freed. 

By the time I had slugged through the snows and made it to the docks, I saw both Levy's and Lucy's team leave the harbor and make their way to The Dark Sea. I saw Elfman immediately. A guy that big with a head of hair like that tends to stick out. That warm twisting feeling in my belly tugged again as I lay eyes on him. My face flushed at the feeling and I bared my teeth at him from the distance.  
What have you done, you son of a bitch?! I scoop up some snow and rub it against my face. The feeling of the freezing clump of snow, quickly burning my cheeks was blissful. Dumping the snow, I quietly begin to approach the dock and subconsciously decided to try my hardest to ignore Elfman. That was when he walked up to Freed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Wait! What are you doing?! I began to move forward faster when I just began to make out what Freed was saying. 

"Well she is going on the mission with you now. There is nothing to be upset about".

I screech to a halt in the snow, any warm feeling in my stomach disappeared in an instant. Had Elfman told Freed about how I felt? I tried to take a step forward again but Freed's expression stopped me. It was like whatever Elfman had said about me was the most useless thing in the world. I look at Elfman's face. He was frowning at Freed, annoyance and a bit of sadness worked into his features.   
Is he standing up for me? Or just asking out of curiosity?

"I know but before either of us knew we were chosen for the job, she thought you would consider her as a partner for going on the job..." Elfman trailed off and I quickly look at Freed. He seemed almost confused, like why, me, a member of the Raijin, wanted to be on this job with him. Or why he should've thought about me. I'm one of his closest friends! And like the number of people looking into my eyes, I can count the number of friends I have on one hand. And this one was rejecting me and failing to see why I am upset.

"Yeah well as I said before. She is going on the job now" Freed looked at Elfman as if he and invented an entirely useless or stupid idea. Any idea of talking to Freed vanished and I felt tears prickle my eyes. Then suddenly Laxus appeared behind Freed, now that I think about it. I don't know why I had any hope when Laxus appeared. I don't know why I though he might stick up for me, or understand how I feel. 

"She goes on jobs with us all the time. She may actually enjoy going on an S rank job with some one else" Laxus began.

That's not the point! I want to be with you guys- 

"And gramps didn't give you or her a choice to switch anyway. Her being upset is pointless".

Pointless...That word was like a sucker punch that nearly sent me reeling backwards. Tears realy did drip down my face now. I caught a glimpse of Elfman's face and his eyes were wide in shock. Me being upset was pointless?! Me showing any other emotion than scorn, arrogance and anger was enough to make them think that was pointless. I can't feel sad or anything like that around my friends?! My family?! Elfman was speechless, and it was all I could do, not to let a single sound escape my throat. Misery, rejection, a whirlwind of sadness crashed me down until I felt as if I would crumple. Everything was numb. I didn't notice Freed and Laxus say goodbye to Elfman, I just tried with a beaten heart to mop up and tears that were freezing on my face.

"Where are you Ever?..." Elfman's baritone voice rumbled. At least he cared where I was.

"Here..." I whimper from the shadows.

***

I have been miserably trying to avoid Elfman for the last day now. Which is practically impossible on a small ship like this. However he seemed to get the message from me and has given me space and privacy, hell he even put up a curtain in our cabin. I stare at the now inky black water and reluctantly felt some gratitude for the man. I gather from living with two sisters, and one the demon Mirajane, he can tell when a lady needs her space, and he was trying his best to give me some. A harsh wind tugs at my hair and pulls the hoodie to my coat over my head for a second, the fur lining tickling my noes. I sneeze violently until my noes hurts and look up, and see little flakes of snow fall from the sky.

Snow...Just great, that is honestly just what I need! I watch a particular snow flake lazily fall from the sky and across my knuckles. I repressed the violent urge to crush it in between my fingers, and instead I watch it with my dangerous eyes as the wind tosses it back up into the sky. It flutters weakly and slowly begins to descend down into the dark ocean. A white spot against the black water. That's when I see it.

"What?" I frown. There was two green dots about the size of golf balls hovering under the water. They bobbed and swayed under the water like flames. "What is that?" I ask myself and foolishly pulled myself closer to the edge. The two green flames grew slightly closer, I don't know how they kept up with the ship moving as fast as it was. I didn't occur to me that what ever was down there could be holding on to the ship. Nor did I think that flames can't be lit in water.  
"That's quite a pretty green colour" I murmur. I was completely entranced and found myself pulling myself closer over the edge. The green lanterns grew bigger.

"Ever?"

It was like the green lights were a magnate and I was iron, I was getting pulled closer and closer until my hair was falling past my face. I reached a hand out, wanting to touch, caress the lights.

"Ever?!".

"Why are your lights so pretty?" I murmur and watched as the lights turned to the size an orange.

"EVER!" Something hard grabbed me around my waist, and I was yanked backwards until I slammed against something hard.

"Ow!!" I yelp and span around. I glare up at Elfman's blue eyes that were now stormy with concern or anger.

"What the fuck!" I shout and smack his chest with my fan. We were too close and Elfman still had his arm around my waist.   
"Let go of me!" I shout and hit him again, but he didn't let go. "There were pretty lights down there, I was just looking, now let go of me at once" I twitch my glasses threateningly and hit him again. He frowned at me and opened his mouth to reply, his arm only now beginning to let go, when he saw something. His mouth clamped shut, and his eyes grew wide with horror.   
"What is it?" I snap and begin to turn, and then I too freeze. A black skeletal hand was reaching over the rail of the ship. Everything went quiet and I was all to aware of the fear that bubbled up in me, and Elfman's presence behind me, and that dark black hand reaching over the ship. A warm breath puffed in my ear and I shivered.

"Whatever you do, don't make a sound and don't move!" Elfman whispered. I didn't look away as the black skeleton hand was joined by a second, and just nod. Elfman removed his arm, and I twitch at it's loss, but for once I did as he asked and neither moved, nor made any noise. The noise of something wet slapped behind me and out of the corner of my eye I see Elfman haul a large piece of canvas out of a barrel filled with icy water. Just as he moved as subtly as he could back to me a large black skull raised it's head over the side. And in it's eye sockets, two large green flames danced. Fear surged through me and I nearly cry out. Then suddenly Elfman was behind me, his hand clasped over my mouth and a freezing roll of canvas was wrapped around me. I gasp as the icy cold water soaked through my coat but Elfman's warm hand stopped it from escaping. His arms were locked around me, and I look out of the corner of my eyes and just see that the canvas was wrapped around him too. I heard a clicking sound and immediately looked back to the thing on our ship. I look harder at it, it was cloaked in some black flickering mantle, its hood ending high on the dome of it's skull. It twitched it's head and cocked it to one side, and clacked it's teeth again. It twisted this way and that, and I began to shiver, from cold or fear I couldn't tell. A harsh rattling noise filled the silence with the clacking. 

Wait a minute...Is it smelling for us? I looked at it's eyes, horrified, and realized that it couldn't see us. Before Elfman pulled us together with the saturated roll of canvas, it didn't take it's eyes off of us. But as soon as he wrapped us in it, it was if it couldn't see us at all, but knew we were here!  
It can only see heat sources! I realize with a start and was so grateful that Elfman knew that or else I would be in that water. With that thing. And gods know how many more of them. The wraith clacked it's teeth more and more, it's skull drifting this way and that, the harsh whistling noise lasting longer and longer. Suddenly it stopped as if hearing something and I felt like it was staring right at me. The freezing water set into my bones and I think I can feel Elfman shivering against me too. Suddenly it screamed, a sharp and awful cry that shrieked in my ears like nails on a chalk board. I was glad Elfman's hand was over my mouth or I would've cried out in fright. And with that, it let go and crashed back into the sea its splash like a crash of copper bowls. Me and Elfman stood frozen on the deck, I could feel my heart thundering in my chest and was shocked that, that thing couldn't hear it. I was sure I could feel Elfman's too. Neither of us moved. I was gripping at Elfman's hand around my waist so hard I was sure I was drawing blood. I was looking into it's green eyes in the water. I wanted to touch it. To get closer to it. I was going to fall in the water! Bile rose in my throat, and I ripped of Elfman's arms from me and ran to an empty barrel. There was no way in hell, I was going near the edge of the ship again. I retched into the barrel and nearly sobbed as I remember how those green lanterns stared back into my own eyes. Warm hands picked the hair out of my face before I could filthy it and held back my hoodie. I retched for a few more moments into the barrel before I pulled back up and wiped away the dregs from my mouth. 

"Was that...was that?" I turn around and watched Elfman's large form shiver and shake. His gray turtle neck now almost black from the cold water. 

"A Draugr..."he finished, the canvas in a pile around his feet. I swallow back more bile that threatened to rise. It could've eaten me!

"C-Come on" Elfman stammered through clattering teeth to the door. We both lurch towards it and he opens it for me and ushers me in. We move like zombies towards our cabin and I shakily open the door. It was like the cold from the water set into my bones. I stagger forwards and collapse onto Elfman's bed, not caring that it was his, or the fact that my thick pants were wet either. He didn't come in the room just yet. I here clattering and clanking and shivering I tie my hair up into a pony tail and strip off my saturated coat I had nothing but a thick woolen long sleeve underneath with a plunging V line. I shiver and wrap my arms around myself. Elfman's walking back into the room now, but he has two large mugs of something steaming. He hands me one an I sniff it and sigh as hot chocolate wafted through my nose. I take a sip and notice Elfman flinging off his shirt too. Leaving him in nothing but denim jeans and shirtless. I shiver more and more, hoping that I wasn't blushing as I felt heat creep up my face. Footsteps walked up to me and I watched a muscular arm drape something over my shoulders. Blinking at surprising contact I look at myself and see Elfman had dumped some of the blankets from his bed around me. I didn't say anything and looked deep into my hot chocolate. I was terrified and shocked about what happened that I didn't realize Elfman was sitting next to me. 

"I didn't think I could feel this scared!" I whisper and take another sip of the milk drink. It needed more chocolate.

"It's the eyes" Elfman whispered to me and I twitch as I realize how close he is. "They make people want to run. That's how they find out where you are. The can sense heat". 

"But when it's in the water, I wanted to get closer to it" I shiver and felt Elfman look at me. I look at him and his blue eyes were soft around the edges. 

"It's why I told people not to go near the ocean" he told me. His voice was warmer and gentler. Sitting as close as we were, him with his shirt off I felt something warm creep through my stomach.

No not again...

"Why were you that close to the edge?" Elfman disturbed my thoughts and I felt sad as I remember what I was brooding about before I saw the lights.

"I saw you talking to Freed and Laxus before we left" I say, and blinked in surprise that I told him. I never open up to people. Elfman blinked in surprise and then looked at me with sad eyes. He took a large sip of his drink before he said his bit.

"I thought you were there. I didn't want you to hear that, but I could tell you did when you appeared" his voice was sad, and something bitter mixed with the warmth in me as I realized he was sad for me. It wasn't bitterness to him, it was just bitterness. I said nothing and tap my fingers against my mug.

"Well at least you care" I say thickly before I could stop myself. Tears welled up in my eyes and I looked away from him. He has seen me cry once, I will not allow him to see it again. Elfman was quiet for a very long time and I was trying my hardest not to let any sound escape my throat. I believed I failed and I hated myself for it. Something warm touched my shoulder.

"Ever, if those two can't see how powerful you are and how smart. Then they are stupid fools that must be blind not to see you as a potential partner" Elfman said more softly than I have ever heard him. My throat was aching now and I hiccuped a pitiful noise out of my throat. His hand squeezed my shoulder and I looked at his long brown fingers. I wasn't scared at the touch and I wasn't scared of the small distance between our bodies. What he said was the nicest thing I've ever heard about me, and it came from Elfman. The honest, loud, at times rude man. I have known the Raijinshuu far longer and they never said anything like that. I swallow thickly and let him see my face and the tears moving down them. I reach up and place my hand over his, blinking at the warmth and feeling his long fingers curl into my shoulder more.

"You don't know how weak I feel" I mutter, my voice grown even thicker from emotion.

There was a slight pause. "You aren't weak because your heart it heavy"

I cry openly, my promise not to let him see broken. I didn't let go of his hand and he didn't let go of me. He cares...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....I got really emotional during the last part of this. Our poor Evergreen needs to know she can let it all out. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is and I repeat and slow burn story and our two cuties are letting it all out.
> 
> Anyway thank you for reading, you guys make this worth it.
> 
> lots of Love. San-of-the-forest.


	5. Elfman

The third day arrived with a howling wind that battered their little boat around, and sever storms that were sleet and hail smashing itself against the deck of the ship. Me and Ever stayed below decks, the storm wasn't just the reason. The first encounter had shaken both of us considering they were there at the very outskirts of The Dark Sea, it had only been one night since the last blood moon night at the time of the encounter. And to find a Draugr that far out at sea, and heading out of The Dark Sea... I shiver in my bed, and wipe my face. 

I'm just grateful Ever did as I said and didn't move or make a sound. If she did, there would be nothing we could've done to permanently kill the thing when it attacked, and it would've summoned others. And most definitely eaten us. I look at the curtain separating us two and just see the silhouette of her sleeping form. She looked relaxed despite the tossing and turning ship and I sighed with relief. Yesterday was a long day, and when I look at her, I feel something warm spread through my chest, and it's warmth lingers long after I look away. "Well at least you care" those words echo in my head, and I remember how her slim fingers wrapped around mine. They weren't sure how long they sat there, but it was for a long moment after she finished crying. Empathy spread through me as I thought of her tears. I've never been rejected by my family and I could hardly image her pain.

If the Raijinshuu treat her like this then they don't deserve her I jolt up at the thought and felt my face flush blood red. Why am I making it out like I deserve her?! I growl and I want to hit myself. I just comforted her last night and...held her hand for a while. But I cannot deny the hot feeling that flushes in my chest every time I think of her. Holding her hand, listening to her cry. Watching her eyes flash golden when she finds something funny and the way her nose scrunches up. I didn't remember how her body felt pressed against mine when the Draugr appeared, I was too scared for that no matter how unmanly I feel. But it's almost like I can imagine it or my body remembers. Remembering how warm her hand was in mine... And imagining that same warmth in her body pressed against mine under a freezing canvas...I shiver and felt myself grow uncomfortable below the belt. Fuck! I hiss and jump out of bed.

"That fucking old man! He has no idea what he has done" I whisper harshly and rub the back of my neck. This was Makarov's fault. If he had just put Ever with her team then none of this emotional bull shit would effect her, or make me feel like this. But the way her team rejected her... I look at her through the curtain and feel the ship toss further. Maybe she is better off with me... I sigh and try to cut out the burning in my pants. That woman sets me on fire I think honestly and felt my chest blast again. Okay cut it out now! I walk over to the wall and place my hand on it.   
"Ship, how long until arrival at Hryggð?" I ask the auto ship. Green light appears behind my hand and I lift it off.

"With high winds traveling at 100 kilometers per hour. Estimated time: three minutes and forty eight seconds" The ships voice echoed in the room. I gape at the wall.

"Three minutes! Fuck!" We need to get ready. I lunge forward towards Ever's curtain and push the curtain up. Ever's form was curled up under the blanket. How can she sleep with the ship rocking like this?! I lunge over to her again and grab her shoulder. "Ever! Ever!" I roughly shake her shoulder. "Ever wake up!" I growl and she opens her eyes. She has her glasses on. She wouldn't sleep with glasses on, not at all. How long has she been awake? I frown and remember my rant about Makarov. Closing my eyes I shake my head and frown at her, we both need to be focused and back to normal now. "Ever, our boat is going to land in three minutes!" I snap and pull back. Her eyes widen in surprise. 

"Shit!" she gasps and throws the covers off. 

Oh gods...I swallow. She was wearing a tight tank top and thick yoga pants, and with her hair tied up in a pony tail...She looked beautiful.

"Elfman get the fuck out!" She shoves me through the curtain and I stumble through onto my bed.

"Right" I said lamely and begin to pull on a new shirt. A pale long sleeve this time. At least she is back to normal I was relieved that I didn't have to deal with an emotional Evergreen. It's very intense. I almost felt bad for feeling that way. Maybe that's why she doesn't open up, because she feels that no one can handle her. I do feel guilty now and look at the curtain to say 'good morning' or 'how are you feeling?'. But I see her silhouette through the curtain and felt heat rise fast and furiously to my cheeks as I see her remove her tank top. Oh Fuck! I couldn't see anything but a shadow, but I can imagine! Blushing and looking furiously at my feet, I tear off my thick pants and pull on a fresh pair of jeans. I'm not a modest person but I hope so badly that she doesn't walk through the curtain. I shrug on my coat and pull on some gloves. We had both packed our bags with the remaining food and were more than ready to go.

"Elfman are you decent?"

I jolt from my thoughts and see Evergreen through the curtain. "Ah y-yeah" I stammer out and tug on my boots. She steps through the curtain, in thick brown winter tights, a gray merino long sleeve, a green plaid overcoat. A dark coat that was almost like his own except feminine, and knee high wool inlaid boots with thick soles. Even this thickly dressed she looked beautiful with her hair in a high pony tail, with bangs in her face. "Wow" I say before I can stop myself. Her ears go red and she scowls vehemently at me.

"What?!" she snaps and I think I'm beginning to stare as her cheeks begin to redden.

"Y-you just changed really fast" the excuse was weak but I think it will hold. She growls at me and paces forward.

"We are wasting time!" she pulls open the door and scoops up her bag and onto her shoulder. I pull up my own and move forwards with her when she suddenly spins around and slams her hand on my chest. 

"What?! You said we are wasting time-" I try to say.

"What happened in this room!" she prods my chest painfully with each word. Understanding dawned and sympathy must have shown in my eyes as she snarled at me.

"I know" I say. "What happened here, stays here" I take her hand off my chest and give it back to her. 

"You understand that you just saw me at my lowest?!" she glared at me but what she said sounded more like a question and less like a statement.

"Ever..." I lean closer. "What I saw wasn't your lowest. It was you being honest with yourself instead of burying whatever you felt".

"I wasn't burying anything!" She blusters and I raise a brow.

"It's okay" I put my hand on her shoulder for a second time. "I wont tell anyone". She stares at me long and hard, but surprisingly, she doesn't remove my hand. She opens her mouth to speak when the ship lurched to the side roughly and a loud ripping noise could be heard. Ever collides into my shoulder and I slam into the wall, both of us landing in a tangled mess on the floor.

"Ouch..." Ever groaned against my shoulder.

"Fuck" I moan and rub my head where it slammed against the wall.

"Warning; Hull has been breached by unidentified object. Destruction of vessel immanent. Please evacuate in an orderly fashion to safety" The boat's automated voice said and unknown light sources flashed red.

"Fuck!" I swear again, and haul me and Ever to our feet. We stumble our way towards the door and I hear the pouring sleet thrash the door outside, and a disturbing, burbling and sucking noise. The ship lurches forward again and I only just manage to barge the door open and I was nearly pushed back by the speed the ship was sailing and the pounding wind and sleet lashing in my face. Finally my eyes squint and blink out the moisture and I see them.

"Oh fuck...".

The unidentified objects, were crawling over the deck of the ship. Their bony fingers ripping great chunks of wood from the ship and springing more black sea water into it's belly. Great flaming green eyes poured over the ship sniffing, and black billowing cloaks that coated the Draugr flickered like shadows. Ever gasped as she looked over my shoulder and covered her mouth.

Five heads snap up at the sound, and as soon as their eyes latch on us, a great shriek ripped our ears apart and the monsters gnashed their already bloody teeth at us. All ten green burning eyes burned into me, I wanted to run. My blood was pounding through my veins, faster and faster each second as I had their full attention. I still blocked the door way, and Ever was still behind me, undetected so far by my sheer body mass. Time slowed and I barely saw the prow of the ship lurch down as The Dark Sea began to engulf it. A wet crunch filled the shrieking air as a Draugr stepped forward towards me, and it's foot plunged straight through the wood. The noise must've brought Ever out of her shock as she suddenly grabbed my shoulders and shook them.

"Elfman, you need to listen! Are you listening?!" She yells in my ear. I swallow and stiffly nod. Another wet crunch, and suddenly all the Draugr began to move forward. Ever hissed and waved her hand out and in front of me. Yellow green light shot from her hand with a whip like noise and smashed in a long arc into all five Draugr. Their ribs caved in and they slammed against the deck with a crunch. But as soon as they made contact with the deck their ribs crackled and popped quickly back into place, and they slowly began to rise. Harsh screaming ripped through the wind and I shiver and Ever shakes my shoulders. "Look ahead!". 

I look up and rapidly approaching the boat, was a patchy black and white streak of land, crowned with mountains. The shore was rapidly approaching.

"This ship, is going to crash into those rocks in about twenty seconds by the way its sinking. We have to jump in nineteen and a half and land!". As if the Draugr could sense or plan they began to scramble to their feet and begin to walk forward and far too quickly for my liking.

Gods they are tall! They may have been humans before they died, but it's as if death made them grow. The shortest Draugr stood two feet over me! The timber crunched and they began to approach, and much too quickly. "Ever, I don't think we have even ten seconds!" I look around, and any tarpaulin or canvas that could've smothered our warmth was long ago thrown over the side by the storm. "Can you fly in weather like this?".

"In this weather I wouldn't call it flying at all!"

"But can you get us out of here?!" I shout over my shoulder. Something even louder crunches against the wood, and a Draugr resulted to all fours as it climbed up the rapidly sinking ship. It crawled forward desperately, its hands and feet breaking apart wood, and its jaw opening in closing as it stared at us like we are choice cuts of steak. "Ever!-" The thing suddenly charged and crawled like a spider over to us, and before I know what's happening the thing has grabbed my ankle with it's bony fingers . "Fuck!" I shout and aim a kick at its head, but my eyes suddenly flash red and its teeth clamped down around my calf and bit down so ferociously blood pooled out immediately and flesh was ripped off. Roaring in pain, I use my free foot and kick in it's ribs desperately but it refuses to let go. Ever's heeled boot suddenly appeared around my calf and smashed into it's skull. I cry out as the head was ripped off my leg, it took a great mouthful of my calf while it was at it. But at least it was gone.  
"Shit!" My leg was shaking and through blurry eyes I could see blood cascading out of my jeans. The Draugr's companions had picked up on their sibling's neat trick and were immediately scrambling up the plunging deck too, like spiders. 

Ever doesn't say anything and wraps her arms around my chest, and we are both hurled into the air. We land with a thud on the roof and I groan as I land awkwardly on my leg. "Shit! Elfman?".

"Yeah?" I groan.

"Can you jump?"

"Do I have a choice?" I feel slightly dizzy and hiss as hail and sleet pepper my leg.

"On three" Ever wrapped her arms around my mid-drift and chest, hauling us both up. "One". I look up and see sharp black rocks rushing towards us, and a rocky icy bay just behind it. "Two", I wrap an arm over her shoulder and hunker down to jump. "Three!" She leaps into the air and forces me up with her. We are battered around and I wrap my spare arm desperately around her waist as we are flung head first near the spikes of the black rocks.

"Fuck!" I yell and try to pull my bad leg up but I was to late and the rough topped edges of the rocks bit into the wound before we were ripped away. My vision spotted black and white for a few seconds as we were tossed and smashed by the awful tempest. Evergreen was trying desperately to coordinate our landing but this weather made it impossible. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the beach made up of nothing comfortable but rocks and ice coming up to happily smash me and Ever into a broken jigsaw puzzle. I think Evergreen swears and she pulls herself flush against me a mere millisecond before impact, and turns us in mid air. I slam into the rocks with Ever and my vision blackens for a moment as my head hits an icy rock with a sickening thud. "Ah..." I think I say but my hearing is completely shot. Something warm dribbles off of my brow and into my eye, and my eyelids blink slowly and like weights over my eyes. I dully feel something shift on my side, and I peek out of the corner of my eye to see Ever shifting and pulling herself up. She looks down at me and I dimly acknowledge her eyes widening and her lips forming my name. Her hand touches the crown of my head and I jolt in the pain and felt my breath leave me. Her hand comes away from my head, red with my blood. Oh crap...My visions shifts and spirals and I can tell she is worse for wear too; blood ran down her face from a large gash on the top of her forehead. My leg throbs, and I feel weaker and weaker as my life blood pours out the great bloody hole in my calf. My head lolls to the left and I just see through squinted eyes our rapidly sinking ship smash soundlessly into the rocks. The black withering figures on the deck exploding in multiple direction of the sea in soundless fireworks. But I know that in a couple of seconds they will be back to normal.

Poor ship I think, a hand touches my jaw and my face turns up to meet Ever's. She had taken off both her jacket and overcoat and was currently ripping her overcoat into pieces. 

"You'll freeze" I try to say but I can't hear my words. Sleet and snow pounded against her and the wind cut deep. Ever looked at me sternly and took the largest piece, firmly tying it around the hole in my leg. "Ah!" I cry out and this time I hear it. My vision blackens and shakes, but my head is taken gently between two hands and is placed on something decidedly softer than freezing rocks. A thick piece of cotton wool was wrapped around my forehead and skull and I flinch. "Fuck...What a landing" I whisper. It amazes me that she heard.

"...I tried to land so I could take the brunt of the landing. But the wind..." She yelled over the wind at me.

"You tried your best!" I smile up at her and I probably look even worse with all the blood and the scar. "Damn those things can bite!" I flinch at my leg and felt weaker by the second. "Ever, we need to get out of here. We are too close to the water. And those things..."

"I know!" she pulled on her coat again and wrapped her arms underneath my arm pits. She hauled me up and I gasp as my leg spazzed and oozed more blood out. My head reeled and I lean heavily on her. 

"I think my leg is going to be fucked for life..." I call over the wind.

"Not on my watch dammit!" Ever growled and forced me to move forward with her. 

Wow, her ferocity is legendary; I am delirious. Still we both hobble forward, Evergreen began nearly dragging me at some point as she tried to walk over the shingle hill. But we were moving and I watched my left leg as it dragged behind us uselessly. 

"Hey. Hey!" Ever screamed and waved her hand desperately.

What? I look up and see a group of heavily furred figures run up to us. Huh...I look to my right and see a bear skull rammed against a spear at the very top of the hill. There was still a piece of fur and a withered eyeball hanging out of it. That's not very friendly.

The furred figures raced up the hill as fast as they can with spears in hand and weapons drawn. I wobbled around and my body slumped onto it's knees. Shit, I'm blacking out. The snow beneath me began to turn pink, to magenta and very quickly to sanguine. Shit... My head rests heavily on Ever's side and I felt my leg and skull dance to a new beat of pain. Everything was flickering and I barely felt Ever grab hold of me, and keep me upright against her. She hunkered down to my level and touched my cheek and gently shook it.

"Elfman, you are going to be alright. I will find help and I will get you better. I promise". I nod and watch a streak of blood run down her face and dribble past the crest of her lips. I wanted to brush it away as my vision tilted and spun. But I found I couldn't move my arms or anything. We were so close. Our faces were so close

"I may be bleeding out, and have knocked half of my brains out. But I believe you. I trust you" I mumble and smile at her. I feel as if I saw something soften in her eyes but I can't be sure, my vision is flickering to damn much. I turn and look at the approaching people and try to look stern in my grievous state. I don't think it amounted to much...

As soon as the group were within six feet of us; a man deftly spun his spear around in his grasp, and with the force of an on coming Magnolia train. He smashed the shaft of his spear into my temple. I crash to the ground and my vision blacks out.

"What are you doing?!" was the last thing I hear. "Elfman!".

I'm alright Ever...But do punch that guy for me, I just manage to think and then I'm dead to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah poor Elfman, he is in a bit of shit. But you know what to do. Comments are treasure and likes are gold. Thank you for reading this far.
> 
> Love San-of-the-forest. 
> 
> P.s. yes I did base the ship off the USS Enterprise.


	6. Evergreen

"What the fuck are you doing?!" I scream at the five men surrounding me with their spears. The tips lighted up blue and runes down the side flashed as the stood in a threatening position. I wrap my arms tighter around Elfman's shoulders, to keep his head upright. I couldn't let him drown or suffocate in the snow.

"Who are you?!" A man closest to me growled and poked me with a spear. 

"Don't you fucking touch me!" I howl at him. "I'm Evergreen from Fairy Tail. And my friend that you just knocked out is Elfman Strauss. Now show some fucking respect and back up!".

"They say they are from Fairy Tail..."

"Then why is that one bleeding out?"

"He is bleeding out, because we were attacked by your friends the 'Draugr'. On the way coming here to help you out and protect you!" I scream over the wind and shivered as I began to feel colder and colder by the minute. 

"They are not our friends, woman!" the man that knocked Elfman out snarled, and I glare with a burning rage at him.

"Yeah but we are! And greeting you friends by striking the most injured one to the head isn't going to help you in the slightest. So you know what!" I take off my glasses and look him in the eye. "Fuck you!". The remaining four members cry out as their companion was now a shocked statue and level their spears at my throat.

"Turn him back now you bitch!" A man with bright blond hair screamed.

"Not a chance!" I yell.

"Turn. Him. Back" One of the men smashed the spear into a boulder. It sounded like a bomb went off right next to me. The boulder shattered into dust and the spear shaft smashed a great crater like crevasse into the ice as the blow continued down.

Shit! They hit Elfman with that?! I thought and look at the man who leveled his spear back at me. "Don't you even touch us with that!" I yell. "I you even make an attempt to swing that thing at me, I will crumble you friend into dust"

"You don't have that power!" the same man shouted back. I narrow my eyes dangerously, the statue man's left hand began to smoke, and every finger from the first joint up, crumbled into dust.

"Stop! STOP!" The men screamed.

"I wont harm him anymore!" I shouted back. "But only if you take me and Elfman to a doctor or a medic. Now!" I command and the men look around.

"Let's take her to Lady Gnash" the man with the blond hair glared at me evilly.

"Will Lady Gnash help him?" I demand and help Elfman to his feet. He was so heavy when he is dead weight.

"Yes..." the man growled and lifted his spear, as did his followers. "Now turn Jerome back" Blonde pointed to the statue. 

I shake my head. "Not until we are safe and my friend is being healed!". The Dark Sea islanders huddled around each other and began muttering. I look at Elfman and see blood oozing out of his head and more blood flow out of his leg. Shit, he is losing too much blood. Guilt stabbed me and I gingerly touch the head wound. I could tell our crash landing was going to be painful, but I had truly tried to take the brunt of the landing because of how badly Elfman was already hurt. Well the wind had other options and it spun me in mid air to the point where Elfman was my cushion and his head nearly got caved in. I drape his arm over my shoulder and began to hobble forwards, in the general direction I saw the men run from.

"Wait woman!" the men run after me.

"Yeah that's not going to happen. And don't call me 'woman'" the way they say it sounds so derogatory. When Elfman calls me 'woman' it's respectful and makes me feel good. These guys are just assholes. In fact, does Elfman call anyone else 'woman'? I blush and move faster.

An man with a dark head of hair and a full beard walks up next to me. "Ah, can I help you with him?" he asks.

"No. Don't touch him!" I snap at him and feel my fingers grow numb with the cold. I need to wear something thicker. I move as quick as I can, and in a matter of minutes the snowy hills flatten out into a rocky path that lead down to a large sprawling village in a bowl between three great mountains. And a large pine forest stretching around the village and up the mountains. "Where is Lady Gnash's home?" I demand and look at the man with the beard.

"She lives along this path here. She refuses to live among the rest of us villagers" the bearded man said. "By the way, forgive me and my companions manners. After everything that has happened you can understand why we are suspicious of strangers". I grunt in reply. "My name is Logan" Logan gave me a friendly smile. I narrow my eyes at him and suddenly look back at Elfman. He was going too pale. I frown and press my hand against his neck, looking for a pulse. It was very weak.

"You have a very pretty name Evergreen-" Logan tries to say when I spin on him.

"Look Logan, I don't have time to talk and neither does my friend. Just show me to Lady Gnash and shut it!" I growl and move forward through the snow. Logan shakes his head ruefully and has a large smile stretched across his face. I rush against the snow as fast as I can, but it was like wading through molasses. Eventually I see smoke rise up and over pine trees at the very beginning of the forest. "Is that where lady Gnash lives?".

"Yes" Logan places a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I smack it off, what is he trying?. "I shall accompany you" Logan says and shoos his friends away. "Lady Gnash is very aggressive around strangers-"

"Logan, I'm going to have to ask you to leave" I scowl at him. 

"What?-"

"I can handle myself and personally I don't want to be around you. My friend is dying, so leave us be!" I yell the last sentence and storm off towards the forest. The pines were tall monsters of tree's, with great spikes for branches and sharp pine needle that stretched out to touch the howling gray sky. The rain, sleet and snow stopped immediately when I stepped into the refuge of the trees. But the wind still cut through me like a knife. I hear Elfman groan and I look up at him with wide eyes as his breath rattled, shit! I move over tree roots and snow as fast as I can. C'mon, where is this house. And then I see a light, I gasp and move forward . I make out a clearing in the middle of the forest, and in the middle and huge tree cabin. It had spikes along the outside, every three spikes, dominated with the skull of some poor animal. The cabin was leaning on an angle and made of the incredibly dark pine wood from the forest surrounding it. Two yellow glass windows framed a low door way and I see a figure move past them. I move forward and practically drag Elfman behind me, curious, the wind and weather don't effect the clearing... As soon as I reach the threshold of the door I shiver as I feel some untoward presence behind the door. I look at Elfman and his head lolled against my shoulder.

"Come on, hang in there big guy" I whisper and knock on the door. It was silent for a long second until the door slowly creaked open. By far the tallest woman I've ever seen stood in the door, she was around Elfman's height! Her head was completely shaven, and her face as pale as the snow and as sharp as a knife. Three thick black lines traced down over her forehead and eyes and down her over her cheeks. The third down her forehead, nose, lips and ending at her chin. Her lips were a black gash and her teeth were yellow and filled to points. The woman cocked her head and gnashed her teeth. Lady Gnash for a reason I swallow and stand my ground.

"Who are you?" she hissed, her voice gravel. She loomed over me and traced the edge of my face, her hands were long and cold. And long curved nails dug into my cheek. "Who are you?!".

"I-I'm Evergreen. And this is Elfman. P-please we need you help, he is really badly hurt-" I stammer and was cut off as Lady Gnash grabbed Elfman's tilted face and made it look up at hers. "Please he is unconscious!". My body trembled under his weight and the cold and Lady Gnash said nothing but stared at him. Then she opened her mouth and licked the blood dribbling down his forehead. My stomach twists and I want to throw up, her tongue was black and she was dragging it all over his face! 

Thank the gods you are unconscious! I think and look anywhere but at Elfman and Lady Gnash.

"This man has a beast soul..." The woman tapped Elfman's cheek and smiled down at him, she licked the remaining blood away from her lips. "I will heal him because of this". I sigh in relief and then suddenly the woman rounded on me. "But it will come at a price for you!".

"Price, what is it? I don't have any money-" We had long lost our bags in the terrible crash landing.

"No money! Money is useless and doesn't have anything for me to gain! The price I require..." she leaned in closer to me and I could smell her. She smelled of something stored away too long in a cupboard. "The price I require is a secret".

"A secret?" I frown.

"Yes...But tell later and bring the beast one in..." She beckoned me into her home and disappeared into it. I swallow and look behind me to the bloody trail from Elfman's leg, to the blood pooling on Lady Gnash's threshold. Her home was cold, dark and very, very empty. The hermit stood at the entrance of a room with a curtain for a door and beckoned us forward. I carry Elfman forward and follow the unusual woman through the curtain, she gestures to the table in the middle of the room. it was huge and dark like the rest of her home and had straps at the side and little channels running along the edges. "Place him on the table".

"That table doesn't look like a healing table!" I growl nervously but I do as she asks and push Elfman on and lie him down.

"A table has many uses..." Lady Gnash walks to a wall and flips around a panel. She removes a large black cleavers blade. I cry out in fright and whip off my glasses.

"Clam yourself, child" the woman sneers and gnashes her teeth. "You eyes will not work on me" She stares me straight in the eyes and I felt my heart falter. Nothing happened. Her eyes never blinked and the longer I stare, the more I realize that she has no irises, just huge pupils and whites. I shiver and lean heavily on the table and touch Elfman's hand.

"Please hurry!" I whisper. The woman nods and with the knife, she cuts away the denim of Elfman's jeans. I swallow and look at the bite wound. The Draugr had eaten away so much flesh and meat, even the bone was showing.

"A Draugr did this. And a Draugr is why you are here" Lady Gnash tapped her blade and large blue runes lite up the blade. Primitive magic...Makarov's words echo in my head.

"Will it...Will it taint him or something?" I ask. 

Lady Gnash shook her head. "That is not how Draugr are created".

"Then how?" I ask.

"I do not know. Draugr work in mysterious ways. They have not existed for over three hundred years..."Lady Gnash trailed off and cleaned the knife, the runes flashed even brighter. I squinted at the runes and recognized the markings, they were healing marks. Lady Gnash held the blade over Elfman's leg and touched the center of the bite. Blood just touched the edge of the blade when the runes turned red and Lady gnash raised the knife and moved it back and forth just above the wound. It was like she was spreading something over it, but there was nothing on the blade! Back and forth she moved the knife and something pale and pink was beginning to smear itself over the wound.

"What is that?" I ask.

"I'm recreating his skin"

"What?" I gasp and lean down. The edges of the pale thing touched the edges of the wound and the two bubbled and fused together. Colour surged up the pasty looking thing until it matched Elfman's skin colour. the more I looked the more and more it looked like a natural piece of skin. "Wow that is amazing!" I exclaim. I reach out and touch it. It was warm and felt exactly like skin should feel like. Lady Gnash moved to Elfman's head and took out a needle and thread. Taking her time she sat next to him and deftly wove her needle through him.

"I'm waiting for that secret" Lady Gnash whispered.

"Look I don't have a secret" I say defiantly.

"Oh yes you do!" Lady Gnash snarled. "I would not ask for something that you do not have otherwise!"

"But...I don't know what it is?" I rubbed my head and looked up and the great deer antler chandelier that barely lit up the room.

"You will. In time" Lady Gnash gently placed Elfman's head down and took away her now bloody needle and cloth. "He is no longer in danger of dying. I shall give him something to drink and he will wake up" Lady Gnash moved to a cupboard and removed a dark green bottle. She tilted open Elfman's mouth and poured this pale yellow fluid down his throat, it stank like sulfur. His eyes immediately snap open and his face goes green and he looks around the room for a bowl. 

"Elfman?" I say and help him sit up. "Are you okay-" I was shoved to the side by Elfman's huge arm and he threw up badly right where my feet were. "Fuck!" I swear and back away from the vomit.

"What did you feed me?!" Elfman hissed and rubbed his head. "Ow!".

"I didn't feed you anything. She did!" I pointed at Lady Gnash. Elfman turned and looked up at her and did a violent double take. 

"Uh...hello" he was clearly taken aback by her appearance and obvious height. 

"Hello" she cocked her head and gathered more blood around his face with her finger, and promptly licked it off her finger. If Elfman could've gotten any paler he would camouflage into snow. I almost smile as he inches more towards me and swallows probably more bile at Lady Gnash's vulgar actions.

"Um thank you for healing me, it was very manly" Elfman tries to break the awkward tension.

Lady Gnash cocked her head and leaned down so their faces were level. "I'm not a man". Elfman tried to wriggle back and nearly collapsed to the ground han I not placed a hand on his back.

"Uh, what did you make me drink?" he asked and spat out whatever foul smelling thing lingered in his mouth.

Gnash smiled an awful smile and leaned back up. "Three month old bear piss".

Elfman gaped at Lady Gnash and then me, and before I knew it he was up and running for the door. And gods I couldn't blame him. "That disgusting!" I yell at Gnash and run after him. Elfman practically threw himself out the door and landed in the snow right next to one of his frozen blood puddles.

"Oh gods!" Elfman moaned and grabbed pure snow. He bit into a great mouthful and immediately started rinsing and spiting with it. I sit down into the snow next to him and pat his back pitifully.

"Okay, its okay. Just breathe" I soothe and pat in small circles.

"Did you know that was bear's piss?" Elfman moaned through snow.

"No. I just got told it would wake you up" I explain and Elfman shivers. I feel bad and decide to buy him a drink when we get back to Fairy Tail.

"That was vile! Where did you find that...that person anyway?" Elfman asked. 

"You know the men that hit you on the head" I start.

"Yeah" Elfman frowned. "You did hit that guy back for me right?".

"Well...I kinda crumbled his fingers off. But that's not the point!" I feel flustered and slightly uncomfortable under his wide eyed gaze. "They told me that Lady Gnash would heal you so I took you to her".

"Lady Gnash...Gods that name suits her!" Elfman whispered and washed more of his mouth out. "I only met her for a few seconds and I've never been more freaked out in my life! Did you see the way she drank my blood!".

"Oh that's nothing" I say before I could stop myself.

"That's nothing?!....Wait a minute, what else did she do too me?!" Elfman demanded.

"Well..." I felt guilty and absentmindedly pulled at a lock of my hair. Two drinks...  
"She...She kinda licked it off of you when you were unconscious..." I look at Elfman's face. His jaw dropped and his face turned green. 

"OH GODS!" Elfman gathered a handful of snow and rubbed it in his face. "You let her do that to me!?"

"Trust me, if I had the opportunity to stop her I would!" I explain and accidentally giggled at him.

"Did you just giggle at me!? This is unmanly and not giggle worthy Ever!" Elfman growled at me and pushed me over in the snow. I just laugh harder and sit back up and watch him frown. Oh my, he is pouting! Heat rushes to my cheeks and I feel my belly light up as his pout twitches at the corners into a smile. "You owe me a drink!".

"I do" I relented. "But at least your wounds are better" I indicate to his leg and he pulls it up.

"Oh wow!" Elfman touched the new flesh. "It feels just like normal! How did she do that?".

"She used this knife with healing runes down the edge..." I explained to him how she moved it like she was spreading something over the wound, when she was in fact creating new flesh and skin to replace what was lost. 

"And my head?" Elfman asked and touched it. He hissed with pain and drew his hand away.

"Does it still hurt? Let me see" I command icily. Elfman hunkered down until he was practically lying in the snow. I look at his head and see that Lady Gnash had stitched the split in his skull back together, including the fracture in the bone she had seen when she had first looked at him. But it was still sure to hurt! I gather up snow in my hand and gently placed it on his head, I smirk as it blended in with his silver hair immediately.

"What's so funny?" Elfman smiled up at me and rubbed the snow deeper into the wound. 

"Oh, your hair just blends in with really well with snow" I say and we both smile at each other. 

"Ha, well you kept your promise. I knew I could trust you!" Elfman grinned at me as if none of the bear piss or face licking ever happened. Something hot grew in me and I felt my face heat up by the way he smiled at me. But was that smile real? I bit my lip hard and thought about what happened in the boat when he thought I was asleep.

"That fucking old man! He has no idea what he has done!" Elfman's own word replayed in my mind. Is that smile truly genuine? I think and I feel as if whatever walls I let slide down slightly for him, try to pull back up. I know he was talking about Makarov...And that must mean he regrets being put in a team with me! I knew it! I know I shouldn't have opened up to him like I did! I am clearly to much for him when I'm upset just like I'm too much for everyone else!

"Hey" a voice interrupts me. I look up and Elfman was sitting across from me looking concerned.

"What?" I growl and look away. I hear something rip and next thing I know Elfman is touching my forehead with something soft. "What are you doing?!" I yell and pull my head away.

"Your forehead is bleeding?" Elfman frowned at me, and approached with the rag from his shirt again.

"Fine I can do it myself!" I growl and reach for the rag but he retreats.

"What has gotten into you? Are you alright? Is it about yesterday?" Elfman interrogated.

"Oh of course you have to mention yesterday!" I snap and turn away from him.

"Ever-"

"No don't! I'm fine, but it's not like you actually care!" I growl hoarsely. How can you pretend that you care?! How can I actually think that you care?!

"Ever!"

"Oh please Elfman don't get upset with me! I know you don't want to be paired up with me because it's 'That fucking old man's fault, and he has no idea what he has done'" I more or less quote him and glare at him. Elfman's face draws and his eyes grew big.

"You heard that?" Elfman whispered. 

"Fuck yes I heard you! And here I was thinking I have a friend that cares and understands, and that me opening up was something natural. But it seems the moment a female shows any weakness or sadness, she becomes a useless piece of dead weight!" I snarl and shuffle away from him.

"Ever please that's not what I meant. You don't understand-"

"Oh I don't understand?! Yeah I'm sure I don't understand your perfect little world at all!" I snap and stand up."You and your perfect sisters and perfect friends that you can open up too! Everybody fucking likes you on the spot, whereas me! Me everyone hates because I try to stick up for myself and be independent!" I snarl. "Every aspect of your life is perfect!".

Elfman stared at his feet and slowly shook his head. "Somethings aren't perfect..."

"Oh like what?!" I growl.

"My face...". That was like being hit by a train.

"Wait what?" I whisper.

"My face" Elfman said again. His eyes looked into mine and they were stormy blue, almost gray. He looked so sad. "Having a face as unusual looking as mine. And then being surrounded by two absolutely beautiful sisters. It's really hard. You don't know how many people laugh when I say we are sisters because of how different I look compared to them. And that's despite the hair and eye colour..." He trails off for a second and I have time to understand this painful churning in my chest.

He thinks he looks...Ugly I flinch as if struck. And he truly believes it too, oh gods.

"And then it's made worse because of the accident with Lisanna, before she came back. People stop looking at you as the awkward and ugly sibling and start looking at you as a monster. A monster that matches your soul" Elfman stood up and began pacing. "And it's funny because I felt like the monster I looked and I couldn't look at myself for months in the mirror!" He's yelling now and I could see tears glimmering in his eyes.

"But it gets worse because I am a guy!" He clenches his fist. "And guys! We can't talk about how we truly feel, because our sex is classified as an emotionless no fucks to give race! If I want to talk to another person or another guy about how I feel I can't because all I get are even worse odd looks and awkward sympathies! You aren't the only one that can't open up!" He stops and his shoulders are shaking. "You have no idea how it feels to look and be a monster. Because you are beautiful..." He trails off and his shoulders are shaking even more. 

I...Elfman...I feel like I'm the worst piece of shit in the world. I feel my eyes itch and burn with tears for him. Shit what have I done?! I walk up to him to face him but he turns away from me. I swallow and shift my feet but he refuses to even look at me. I turn to the snow and look at his head. I pick up a shallow handful in one scoop and on tip toes, I gently rub it into his scalp. His shoulders stiffen and I hear some noise escape him. Something in me wrenches and I continue my work. Turning around picking up snow. Then turning around again and gently massaging it into his painful stitches. His hair is so soft even if it is getting saturated with snow, and I don't turn around again to pick up snow. I leave my hand there and feel him shake underneath me. Gods Elfman you are not a monster. You are the furthest you can ever get from a monster. I stay there, softly petting his hair and felt more guilty than I ever have in life for making him feel this way. A small breeze moves like a snake through the forest and brushes against our heads in a soft caressing way. But its as if something breaks between us now. He slowly turns to me and I watch his tears fall down his face silently and I feel absolutely incapable to comfort him. I continue to touch his scalp, never once letting my eyes leave his and I mopped up the melted snow that ran behind an ear. He moves now. I watch him lift the piece of cloth he had scrunched in his hand and closed my eyes as I felt him gently dab at the bleeding wound above my eye. He staunches the blood flow there and delicately wraps the cloth around my head, forming a make shift bandage. He ties it snugly and as soon as it's secure he drops his hands and looks away. I swallow and looked at his hunched, dejected form. I decide to for once follow my instincts closer to my heart. I remove my hands from his head and travel them down to his shoulder and stepped forward. I wrap my arms around him then and pull myself into him securing him in my arms and not budging as I rested the side of my face against his neck.

"Elfman you are the furthest person from a monster in the world. And if anyone ever calls you a monster then I will hurt them. Because you are the realist man that I have ever met, and one of the only men I've met that actually opens up and listens when others do too" I tell him honestly and wrap my arms tighter around him. His rant about Makarov was complete history to me. It may as well have never happened. He was silent, but after a few seconds great arms wrap around my lower and upper back and hold me tighter against him. Something bitter sweet stirred in me and I wished I could've held Elfman like this under different circumstances. But I was holding him, and not me being held. And I felt something even warmer creep from the pit of my stomach and through my body as for once I comforted someone that needed comfort desperately. Then I shiver and realize something.

He called me beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama!!!!!!!! DUN-DUN-DUN!!!!! Na poor Elfman needs a cuddle and I want an Elfman to cuddle. But thank you for reading and likes and comments are absolute gold. Lots of love.
> 
> San-of-the-forest


	7. Elfman

Shit...Shit! I think as I felt more tears drip down my face and into Ever's hair. The more tears that fell, the more I held Ever closer to me.

"It's okay" Ever said gently. "It's okay. If it's okay for me to cry, then it is more than okay for you to cry" she squeezed me tightly and I was all to aware of her face against my neck. I tilt my head down and felt how wet her hair was from all the snow, sleet, rain, and now my tears were adding to the mix. She didn't ask me to dump this on her, she probably doesn't even want to see any of this!

"Shit!" I swear and push myself away. The hug felt so good, but I never felt this way. This vulnerable, sad, emotionally scarred way. But being held by her, felt so good. She is the only person besides my sisters who has hugged me. It wasn't the awkward sympathies that I received from people when I accidentally let something personal slip. Hells it was better than getting sympathies from my sisters, who feel guilty more than anything, like they have wronged me or cheated me from something. But being held also scared me so badly. I've dumped all my problems on her only a day after she opened up to me. What if I've ruined the friendly bantering relationship we have? And have replaced it with awkwardness and the danger that she has my personal issues over my head, just like I have some personal issues over her's. "Fuck I'm sorry!" I swear and turn away from her.

"Sorry?! What are you sorry for?" Ever asked and I felt her hand on my shoulder again. I shiver at the contact and want to throw it off me because of how vulnerable I felt. But more than anything I want to hold her slim smooth hand in my own.

"For dumping all my personal crap on you!" I thickly reply and scrub the never ending tears from my face. 

"Elfman I did basically the same thing to you a couple of minutes ago, and yesterday!" she replied and walked to my side.

"This is different!" I hiss and rub harder at my awful, strange, weird face.

"Why? Because for once you aren't listening to people talk, and are finally talking yourself". A hand took my own away from my face and I was forced to look at her standing in front of me with a bandaged wrapped around her pretty face. I say nothing and refuse to make eye contact. Her hand, the left one stayed on my shoulder. "It's hard isn't it? Opening up that is". I nod and look at the thick pine needles above our heads. "It's hard because it hurts more than it makes you feel better in the beginning. Doesn't it?". I nod again. "...." she looks at the pine needles with me and then squeezes my shoulder. "You haven't told that to anyone have you?".

I shake my head, and the pine needles became hazy with the moisture in my eyes.

"And yet you told me...Why?". She didn't ask harshly, like 'why did you open up to me? I didn't need to hear that shit' type question. She seemed genuinely curious about why I trusted her with all my angst and problems.

I pause and swallow. I need to find the right words. My throat was aching and my eyes were hot when I finally spoke. "Because even though you are the complete opposite of me. And have no effect on my problems at all, I feel as though you could understand" I said hoarsely. Ever just looked at me with those deep chocolate brown eyes and said nothing. It was silent for a few long seconds. Too long. Shit...she doesn't understand! I back away and turn to leave. But her hand bites deeper into my shoulder and forces me to stay.

"Wait" she said. I stand nervously and swallow. Please just don't...Reject me, or tell me something cruel...I think and shift uneasily. This is like the moment that you jump off a cliff and into the ocean, but you don't know if rocks are at the bottom. She slips of her dark coat for the second time and takes off the ragged remains of her plaid overcoat. She rips the sleeve up and smooths out the fabric before pulling back on the remains and her black coat. Looking up again she takes my hand in her own and presses the rag into it. "I can tell what you are thinking. I felt the same way so stop thinking that. Don't think you need to be a stranger to me now"

My eyes widen in shock and she squeezes my hand and the rag in it. 

"I know that opening up to people is really hard. It really is. So it is up to you if you want to talk to someone else about how you feel. But you don't have to" she squeezes my hand again and her eyes glimmer. "You can always talk to me if you wish, and I will listen..." she trails off. She wants to listen to me more?

"You would do that?" I mumbled and feel her big eyes sparkle at me.

"Yes" she replied simply and released my hand. I breathe shakily and look at the little rag in my hand and then back at her. I lift my hand and begin mopping up my tears with her rag. When I was finished I looked at her solidly.

"On one condition" I say.

"Condition? Sure, fine what is it?" Evergreen asked.

"You talk to me too" I demand and watch her intently. She blinked in surprise and shuffled her feet in the snow.

"Are you sure?" she looks up at me and I nod. She smiles and rubs behind her glasses. "Only if you want to. I don't want you to feel obliged to listen to me-"

"Ever!" I growl. "I'm serious". She sighs again and rolls her shoulder as if easing off some weight. I think agreeing about something this personal was very unusual for her.

"Yeah" she said. "Yeah, okay".

Good I think and the two of us silently regarded each other. A muttering wind whispered through the otherwise mute clearing. It smelt sweet and for once not of rain, snow or mud. I sigh and look at the bunched rag in my hands and feel the strip of cloth around my head. Both belonged to the remains of Ever's overcoat. "You've ruined a perfectly good coat" I say and smile. Ever frowned at me and my smile grew as she tapped her own forehead. 

"You've ruined a perfectly good shirt" she replied. We both smile at each other, then grin and then finally laugh into the silent grove. It felt good to laugh after all that drama and shit. I felt something strange bubble in me and simmer in me the more we regarded each other, and laughed along side each other. I wanted to hold her again, but closer, and feel her soft hair against my neck and smell her fresh scent that I can scarcely remember. I even believe I want to kiss her. My ears burned and the more I smiled and looked at her the more I felt something warm and strange in me. 

"Well that was dramatic" a gravely voice muttered in my ear. My jaw dropped and Ever's face went pale. I span around and gasped at the freaky face, closer than a foot away from mine. Most of the magic inside me left the instant I laid eyes on her.

Shit she is my height! I swallow and take a step back from her. It was hard to tell that Lady Gnash is a girl. I do suppose there is something feminine going on there, it would be more pronounced if she had hair.

"Finished staring?" Gnash muttered.

"Oh...Oh sorry" I flush and turn to my side so I could look at Ever, but keep Gnash in my vision. Looking at Ever was much nicer.

"It was very heartfelt and sweet what I heard here" the witch began to say. "I almost expected you two to kiss" she grinned at me and gnashed her pointy teeth. My flush turned into a full red blush and I heard Ever shift in the snow uncomfortably. Oh gods please don't say that...I thought. Lady Gnash bared her teeth in a wicked grin and then licked her lips with the black slab of a tongue. Oh gods she licked me with that tongue?! I feel as if I'm going to throw up. 

"So..."I swallow deciding to ignore her last comment and her mouth. "I'm good now? I can go?"

"Well you aren't going to die so yes I believe you can go" Lady Gnash cocked her head.

"Good...." I sigh and prepare myself for my next request. "So do you think you could just point us in the direction of Hryggð please?"

"No" Lady Gnash shook her head. "I will take you two there myself"

"No, no, no, no, no" me and Ever shake our hand in a dismissive gesture. "We wouldn't want to bother you" I say as politely as possible.

"Nonsense. I haven't give the idiots down there a good scare in a while" Gnash did what her name implied and walked towards the edge of the woods. "Well are you two coming?"

I turn to Ever and we grimace at each other, we're both slightly blushing.

"We have no choice" I whisper.

"Nope" Ever agreed and walked next to me to where Gnash is. 

"Hurry up!" Gnash snapped and began to make her way through the pine forest.

"Are the rest of the villagers as creepy as this one?" I whisper.

"No, they're just douches" Ever whispered back. I snort and follow a meter or two behind Gnash, but the trees seemed to be getting closer and closer, and wind began to howl as we left the clearing. It was becoming very dark, very quickly.

"How far away are we from the edge?" I call over the wind.

"Not far..." Gnash called back eerily. I shiver and look at her harder, the woman was hardly wearing anything. A thin gray shawl or dress with thin straps that looked more like a rag. And bare feet. Where did Ever find her? She had no fat at all and was as flat as a boy and just as narrow. And she was my height which is scary. In fact I couldn't even tell how old she was. Her face was like it was carved smoothly from ice, the three black lines bringing out her check bones and smooth forehead. Even being bald made her look youngish. But the look in here eyes and the way she moved...There was something much older underneath her skin. Something strange I can detect behind her eyes and closer to her heart. It unnerved me because I've never seen anything like it before. The forest was dark and pitch, I could only just see Lady Gnash, and Ever was forced to walk closer to me because of the confines of the forest. I swallow and look at my feet. I feel slightly awkward and peer at her out of the corner of my eye. She was acting absolutely normal. She cursed at the tree roots that she stumbled over and repeatedly wiped her glasses of the debris and beginnings of snow that made its way onto her lenses. She acted as if what happened five minutes ago was another casual conversation that happened. Did she not feel what I felt too? It did disappoint me, but it didn't surprise me.

Maybe she is feeling slightly awkward too and is ignoring what has happened I rub my forehead and continue walking. Maybe I should...No. We have to concentrate and investigate how the Draugr are coming back...But where do we start, and how to begin. I look at Gnash's back and move froward until I was next to her. I don't like being this close, considering she liked to lick me while I was unconscious.

"Lady Gnash, can we ask you about the Draugr?" I ask as politely as possible.

"Ah I was wondering when either of you would ask" Gnash replied.

"How did you know we would ask? You told me when you were healing Elfman that we were here for the Draugr. How did you know?" Evergreen moved up closer.

"Who did you think Makarov sent a letter too when he told all of The Dark Sea villages that help was coming?" Gnash cocked her head at both of us.

"You?" I look at her wide eyed.

"Who else? Certainly not that imbecile village leader down in Hryggð. I would call him boar headed but that is an insult to boars" Lady Gnash gnashed her teeth irritably.

"If Makarov doesn't trust the village leader, then why is he village leader and not you?" Ever asked.

"Makarov doesn't have as much political power as you think. Certainly not the power to decide the leaders of Hryggð, or influence who should be elected" Gnash peered at Ever. "And me you say? What gave you the impression that I wanted to run a village full of superstitious people that squawk at shadows on a wall? The only thing that is worthwhile being scared of are these Draugr, dragging their young and old, healthy and sick from their beds to eat them and let their bones walk and eat others. Besides, you think they would want me as a leader?" She threatened to smile. The mere threat of a smile was terrifying itself.  
"You two are the only two smart enough to ask me".

"What can you tell us about them that we don't already know?" I ask. This person is different, she must know something.

"Yes Makarov did tell me what you already know" She mused. "I do not know much about them. They were around long before they have appeared today, but only dormant. And even then they were few and never attacked large groups of people like the village" She gnashed her teeth in thought. "I know that your historian, Levy, I believe was correct in thinking the blood moon related to the runes she found. If you find more of these, then I believe you can find the source of the Draugr and stop them"

"But there are four other groups on this island that are also looking for these runes. Can you tell us if these runes are here in Hryggð?" Ever looked around my shoulder at Gnash.

"No" she stated. "I've found crumbling fragments of ancient text in Hryggð, but only patches of single characters. They never interested me so I never pursued them. Any searching you do for them you have to do from scratch"

"That's just great..." I mutter and peer ahead as I see the watery sunlight filter ahead of me.

"If I can offer any advice let it be this" Gnash stopped and turned to me and Ever. "You search to figure out the source of the Draugr will be dangerous. If you search for the runes you will be attacked by them. If you search for the source itself without the help of the runes you will certainly be attacked"

"That's not advice-"

"Let me finish" Gnash whispered creepily. She stared at me and I suddenly realized that she never blinks.  
"When you are being attacked, try to collect one of the bones. Particularly from one of the Draugr that is bigger and older looking than the rest. The bigger they are the older they are. When that is done, bring the bone to me and I will see what I can do"

"You make that sound easier said than done" I say.

"You are correct" Gnash replied. "If you manage to collect a bone, then the Draugr will not simply go back to the sea and wait for prey to approach or go attack people during the night. It will pursue you two endlessly until it gets its bone back and devours you two"

"Great, so we just attack the thing, get a bone, run back to you with the thing chasing us. Fend it off while you learn what ever you need to learn with it, and then what?" Ever asked.

"I will learn what I can learn. And see where the corpse died. That will be far more useful than you could imagine" Gnash said and began walking. "Come. Taking you two to the village will be more useful to you as well, in its own way"

"Why?" I ask and walk with Ever behind her once more.

"Because Draugr may not be the only thing that threatens you" she walked forward and into the wind, the weak sunlight becoming stronger as we neared the edge of the forest.

"I don't like this" I whisper to Ever. "She makes it sound like the villagers will hate us being here"

"I know, and her escorting us there wont help us I don't think" Evergreen replies and I almost lost her soft voice over the wind. It wouldn't be a good thing if we were surrounded by enemies at sea, shore and land.

"I wonder if the other groups got a better reception then we did?" I ask Ever and think of Mira.

"Hmm" Ever looked down at her feet and looked decidedly sadder. Oh shit Freed and Laxus!

"With Laxus they probably did" she muttered.

"Hey!" I said loudly before I could stop myself. Her head snapped up and she glared at me, no doubt for yelling.

"What?!" she growled.

"Look just don't..." I sigh and rub my head again. "Just don't think about them for the moment okay..." I try to sound more gentle and Ever just sighs and nods.

"Yeah...Yeah okay" she turns around and we are about to walk out of the forest.

"Oh great" Lady Gnash growled.

"What?" I ask.

"We have a reception" she says nothing more and walks out of the forest.

"Wait what?!" I call and move faster to her. I rush out of the trees next to her and squint against the sun and blinding snow at a dark man.

"Ah, hello Lady Gnash. It is good to see you out of your hut" the man walked forward and completely ignored me. "Though perhaps you could've taken the extra step and bathed a bit before leaving". Lady Gnash was by no means publicly presentable, but this was her way. I would've never have commented on that. Just who is this guy? 

"Logan" Gnash growled and gnashed her teeth at him.

"Logan?" Ever said behind me and stepped up next to me.

"Why the lovely Miss Evergreen!" Logan pulled back his furred black hood and rushed up to her.

Lovely?! I thought and stare at this Logan. Does Ever know this guy? I look at her and she stares back at Logan as if he was a bit of dirt under her nails.

"Why are you here Logan?" Ever asked and sighed.

"Why I couldn't just leave with a good heart. Knowing a beautiful woman like yourself was defenseless in these dangerous woods" Logan tenderly placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it in circles.

Beautiful?! Okay that's it! Something dark in me roared silently as this Logan didn't stop his movements on her shoulder. Gods I am angry!   
"Hey what are you saying 'defenseless' for?!" I snap and step behind her. Logan looked at me for the first time gazed at me as if I was some specimen under his lenses. He was tall enough for his head to reach my chin, had dark eyes and a thick mop of black hair. And his lower jaw was coated firmly in a dark beard. But what I really noticed was the lines on his face. This man was far older than Ever. At least mid thirties. That made me more angry.

"Ah yes you are my lady Evergreen's 'friend'" Logan drawled the word friend out. 

'My' Lady?! I thought and saw Ever out of the corner of my eye watching us silently.

"Do you think you could've protected her in the state you were in? I thought I saw your brains falling out of your head or what little you have I suppose" Logan sighed and smiled like he was telling a friendly joke. I loom forward and grab him by the collar of his furred clothes, gods I was angry. The way he was talking to Ever, the way he said she is defenseless. The way he was touching her! And now he is openly insulting me! I know he wants me to hit him just so it looks like I can only resort to violence instead of using my brains that he thinks I have so little of. I'm used to this treatment by people who don't like me or feel threatened by me. They expect me to play the dullard and attack them. I will show him.

"She doesn't need any protection from anyone. If she told me right, she turned one of your 'friends'" I drawl the word. "To stone, and crumbled all his fingers on his left hand off. She wrapped you around her little finger like a living ring after that, because you knew, she could do the same to you. In fact I believe she came here to protect you, because you are too incapable of doing that yourself" I drop him and he staggers back in the snow. "She certainly doesn't need any protection, least of all yours". his face went bright red, defined even more by his dark hair. He glared at me, his frown, furrowing deeper lines into his skin. "What an old, dated joke" I spit the words out like daggers. He snarls and begins to rush forward when we both hear a small titter. Evergreen covered her mouth with her hand and began to snort most unlady like into her hand, her eyes glazed over as she laughed at Logan's clear embarrassment.

I began to blush in my pride of what I had done, I've shamed him and embarrassed him in front of Ever and a witch doctor who will unlikely forget this in the years to come. But I've probably just boosted Ever's ego, which really didn't need to get any bigger. Logan fumed at me and looked between me and Ever before taking a deep breath and brushing off any snow on his shoulders.

"You are quite right. You have my apologies" Logan turned to Ever at the last part. "I should've known that a strong woman like you wouldn't need to be protected. You weren't the one knocked out" I felt my cheeks grow hot at that last comment but forced myself to relax and hold the smirk I had on my face before. Even more annoying the more Logan spoke, the more he grew calmer and calmer and less agitated. "But even so, I must insist to escort you down to our humble village, it would be an honor..." Logan let the offer hang in the air, and it was all I could take not to look at Ever.

"You can escort all of us" Evergreen put on her snooty air and walked past me. "And don't think to protect me".

"Of course not, of course not" Logan assured and I felt anger and another emotion I didn't want to face, grow. "But if a wolf were to attack, I couldn't help but throw myself in front of you. I couldn't let it mar your lovely skin" Logan flirted shamelessly and smirked at me afterwards. I was absolutely furious, why isn't Ever stopping him?! And I can't because that would look....Unusual. It wasn't like we are together!

Logan sauntered past me and towards Ever and the two began to make there way down the path.

"Come on Elfman!" Ever called up to me, and I hope she couldn't see how pissed I am.

"That asshole-" I hiss when a clawed pale hand grabbed my upper arm.

"Elfman, I require a word for a second" Lady Gnash whispered and pulled me to the side. "It is a good thing Evergreen is here, or we could never get him away"

"What is it?!" I hiss. I didn't want to leave Ever alone with that old man!

"Do not trust Logan!" she whispered. "He isn't the village leader but his brother is. And his brother is a stupid as they come. Logan is the real brains and voice behind his brothers, he is cunning and incredibly selfish".

"I don't trust him already!" I growl back.

"Do not let your jealousy blind you from his ambition!" she gnashed her pointy teeth and black lips. I stir angrily at the word 'jealousy'. 

"I'm not jealous of that son of a-" I try to say.

"Listen to me!" Gnash hissed. "He is embarrassed that he needs to rely on help from another place to aid them with their troubles!".

"They will all die if we don't help!"

"I know, but they don't! And while what you said to him before was amusing and definitely well deserved, you just rubbed salt into a open wound" Gnash leaned back again. "He will find someway to kill you behind your back or someway to shame you!".

"Then he is an unmanly coward that deserves the village to know what he is!" I reply.

"Do not do that! The villagers love him as they should his brother, and will attack you and Evergreen if you two outsiders were to ridicule him. I've said it before and I will say it again, he is dangerous! He uses his brother as a figure head so if anything were to go wrong he can blame it on him!" Gnash whispered. I clench my teeth and squeeze my fists so tight that I begin to draw blood. I seethe and glared at Logan's back as he flirted with Ever at the top of the path. Gods I think I hate him!

"We better start moving or he will suspect something" Gnash ushered me up the hill.

"How have you let him do this to the people?" I whisper.

"Because despite him doing dark things, he has kept this village together too" Gnash said. "But I hate him with all the bones in my body".

"That's something we have in common" I say.

"Not just that" Gnash turned and peered at me. "I felt you looking at me as we walked through the woods. You know what I'm talking about...".

I swallow and remember feeling something old and dark next to her heart the longer I looked at her.

"I-I'm sorry" I stammer.

"Do not be" Lady Gnashed smiled a gruesome smile. "For I see the same thing in you"

"What?!-" I begin when I see it. Gnash's eyes turned blood red and shaped like wolves. Her long nails turned into long claws which she absentmindedly polished against the trees next to us. Cutting great grooves into them. She gnashed her teeth and they were filled with huge fangs that glistened wetly in the sunlight. I blinked in shock and they disappeared. 

"We have more in common..." She muttered and walked quickly up to Logan and Ever. 

I was frozen on the spot in shock and amazement. This is the first time I've met one. 

The first time I've met another beast soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew yay okay, done. Sorry this is late but I was busy over the last few days. Hope you enjoyed it, and jealous Elfman ;). Also this is the last bit of angst you will read for a little bit. I was just setting things up for later...Also no other chapters will be this long...hopefully.
> 
> Anyway read and review.
> 
> Lots of love San-of-the-forest.


	8. Evergreen

I was absolutely glowing after what Elfman said. Truthfully I expected him to hit Logan after what he said, but the man definitely surprised me and gave him a verbal beating instead. I wanted to hit him too actually. If I was called stupid straight to my face I would've done worse then hit him, but Elfman brutally embarrassed him in front of me and Gnash. Which was even better.

But him saying how I'm not defenseless... I was preening and I know it, but it was such an empowering thing to hear. I was tuning out whatever Logan was saying to me, something about 'a shame that my beautiful brow was cut'. True the man did have a silver tongue that is clearly well practiced. But he seems to like the sound of his own voice more than I did. 'Wrapped you around her finger like a living ring' his words replayed in my mind, and a big grin stretched on my face. I was still grinning when I looked behind me and watched Elfman walk up the hill behind Gnash. He was frowning and staring thoughtfully at her back.  
I wonder what they talked about I thought and look back at Logan and finally begin to listen.

"...Our village is rich with history that I would love to educate you in" he finished and grinned at me with twinkling eyes. 

"Good" I say forcefully. "Me and Elfman need to know as much information as we can. Do you have any tablets-" I was cut off.

"You and Elfman?" Logan's twinkle disappeared into a frown.

"Yes" my smile disappears too and we are left staring at each other.

"Well...He doesn't seem to be the fellow who tends to read much-" Logan begins.

"And how do you know this?" I growl though I know Elfman isn't a big reader. "If I remember correctly he just gave you a verbal beat down instead of being the idiot you thought he was" I snap.

"Yes, but that was an honest mistake on my part" the colour began to return to his cheeks.

"An honest mistake?!" I growl and step forwards. What happened between me and Elfman in Gnash's clearing was still too fresh in my mind, how people judge him before they know him. And this is first hand example. I sigh deeply and massage my forehead. I have to try to get along with this guy...Which is too easy for him to do. I look up and smile wanly at him.  
"I understand, but we would appreciate any help you can give us". The twinkle sprang back into his eyes a little too quickly for comfort and he smiled flirtatiously at me.

"I will gladly give you any help you require" Logan's eyes flicked over my face and lingered on my body and I felt something squirm uncomfortably in me. He is being too forward. Snow crunched behind me and I inwardly sighed with relief. I don't care if it is Elfman or even Lady Gnash, anyone to talk too would be better than this open staring. Both of them were behind me and I shuffled over next to Elfman. As soon as the two of them came within range, Logan's eyes narrowed and he looked pointedly away from Elfman.

Well this is great, Logan had to be an asshole. I turn and look at Elfman. And you had to speak up...Elfman's reaction surprised me greatly. Sure Logan's flattery was nice although not the defenseless part. But for him to speak up so quickly was quite surprising and flattering.

"This way please" Logan said somewhat stiffly but kept himself smiling and happy.

I walk slower alongside Elfman, forcing him to slow down too, until we were a good three meters away from Logan and Gnash.  
"You had to speak up huh?" I say. The wind was still howling but we could speak safely because of this.

"Come on Ever. What he was saying and doing wasn't right" Elfman said and I grimace. He was right, Logan touching and rubbing my shoulder was a big step too far. But I decided at the moment to try to stay on the good side of Hryggð and not brush off what could be a gesture of friendship.

"We need to stay on the good side of these guys. It wouldn't be good if we act hostile to them, especially after what Gnash said" I say and eye Logan. However he wasn't unpleasant in the least despite the bad rep Gnash gave him. He treated me with respect before and after his small blunder with 'defenseless'. He was very flattering and intelligent, said all the right things. In a guild full of gorgeous women, it is hard to be given this much attention from a man, even if it is slightly inappropriate at times.  
"He is handsome though..." I eye Elfman and grin as he squirms. Was it anger or embarrassment that made him stir like this? Perhaps it was even jealousy?

"He is old Ever!" Elfman hissed at me, his cheeks burning.

"Are you jealous?" I nearly laugh but stopped myself. 

"What?! No of course not! Why would I need to be jealous of someone as unmanly as him?!" he stammers and shoves his hands in his pockets. I sigh and smile happily at the sky and ignore his question. You are so jealous.

"He isn't that old" I smirk. "And he certainly knows how to woo a lady. Do you think he could give you tips?" I laugh now and watch him. His face fell and he looked crestfallen at his feet, silence filled the space between us. He probably doesn't need to hear that right now...I feel guilty and remember his own insecurities that he only just got off his chest.   
"Hey come on. You know I was joking" I playfully whack him with my fan. He snorted and said nothing. I sigh and look at the snow, I waited for him to get a little further ahead when I lent down and grabbed a big handful of the stuff. I tip toed back up to him and before he knew I was there I yanked back the collar of his shirt and jacket and dumped the freezing wet powder down his back.

"Shit!" Elfman swore loudly and whirled on me. "Ever!" he yelled, "that shit is freezing!".

"Then don't be so moody and grumpy!" I laugh and shove his chest. He sighed heavily through his nose and continued to walk without a backwards glance. His hands awkwardly trying to pat out the snow.

"He needs to treat you with more respect" he growled at me and walked faster. I stop walking for a moment to observe Elfman, perhaps my playfulness was a bit ignorant. These past two days have been so enlightening for me about him. He doesn't judge people on looks but how they treat others...Maybe this is because of his own personal problems with his appearance. I do and I don't understand him. He can have such confidence in the guild, around his friends, hells even around strangers. But to find out that he is so self conscious about how he looks, and how people look at him, it is very shocking. He isn't even bad looking! He just looks a bit usual with his skin, hair, eye colour. And the shape of his eyes and his obvious size. I myself would say he looked exotic, not that I would ever say that out loud.   
That confidence is an act. That makes me sadder then I thought it could make me. Does his sisters know about this? Something tells me that they have a notion, but neither truly know and truly understand. 

'I feel as though you could understand' his words were replaying like a broken record. It was almost frightening how much he trusts me.

"Oh fuck..." I whisper and walk back up behind him. Reaching up I paw the snow out from his back and feel the wetness of his shirt, he pauses as I do this. I really want to hug him again. He is actually so...so relaxing to hold and be held by. He is comfortable and warm, and the intensity that he holds you back is so reassuring, it is like you are being taken away from the world into another warmer one. I shake my head and blush, the fleeting petals of warmth I feel whenever I see him were blooming into a large flower that reused to wilt on my command.  
"So..." I swallow and felt the heat in my cheeks. I see Elfman looking at me out of the corner of my eye. "I don't like Logan like that, Elfman" I say.

"Hmm" Elfman looked at me and then began to smile. "I know".

"Oh come on, you were sulking a second ago!" I smack his shoulder in my outrage.

"You can be so easy and confuse when you are feeling sad and guilty" Elfman laughed, the village wasn't that far away now. A couple of hundred meters and the three great mountains towered above them and into the yawning sky. The mountains were so huge that the tips disappeared into the clouds. 

"I felt guilty!" I snarl.

"And I know, that's how I messed with you" Elfman grinned. "Look it takes a lot more than that to get under my skin" he winks and playfully pushes me on the shoulder. I seethe in a rage and glare at the even more intimidating forest that hugged the path and village.

"Then why were you so grumpy?!" I growl and whack him again.

"Well if you saw a forty year old woman flirting with me or Bickslow or Laxus. You wouldn't be very impressed either" Elfman said and grinned even more at me. He did have a point.

I snort and begin to smile. "Don't even get me started on Bickslow or Laxus" I sigh and shake out the last of the snow out of Elfman's jacket. Elfman smiles and we both look more closely at the village. The homes were long and low with carved Celtic patterns along the door ways, and the roofs frames. They are made of dark wood from the pine trees embracing the village. Despite the village's supposed chaotic arrangement from afar, it was in fact well arranged to avoid the harsh winds and was sheltered by both mountains and forest. However things weren't as neat and cozy as it may seem. Just like Gnash's home, surrounding the village were two meter long spikes mounted with animal skulls. Primarily bear's skulls grinning forbiddingly down at us. 

"I gather that not many things are friendly at Hryggð" Elfman said.

"I can hardly count anything friendly about Hryggð" I say and look at Logan. And I can only count one person that is friendly, and at that more than what is appropriate. We both look around the village and the people who were working feverishly. They were chopping wood with great urgency, for firewood and for the beginning of long spears. A bearded iron worker was shaping foot long pieces of metal with his bare hands, and scratching runes along them. The more I watch the more I see queer tattoos and patterns on his hands shifting and rolling as he worked. One tattoo flared red and the metal turned white hot. The large man pulled the metal into lumps and began to shape them into arrow heads with his fingers and sharp pliers.  
"Do you see that?!" I whisper to Elfman and point at the man.

He nods and watches with me as we walk. "I think those runes and tattoos are the old magic that Makarov spoke of".

"You are right" Gnash appeared eerily by our sides and we both jump. "The tattoos help people use the magic in them for purposes using their body. Such as becoming immune to pain, advanced strength, thicker skin and defenses. And as you two can see, he uses his own body heat to heat that metal to shape it. Runes and tattoos can do many things".

"What about that knife you used to heal my leg?" Elfman asked.

"Runes must have human strength or magic to make it work. The runes on that blade were that of healing as your friend told you. I simply applied the idea of spreading something with the flat of the knife, and used your blood and DNA as the source. That was how your skin and flesh was replaced" Gnash explained and I was amazed at how practical this type of magic is.

"That's very interesting-" I begin to say when a little boy skidded in front of me, panting with something in his hands. I look down, and look at the big innocent blue eyes that looked into mine, and the thick curtain of a ginger fringe that just peaked out from his thick heavy black hood.  
"Hello" I say and smile. The little boy looks between me and Elfman and shuffles his feet.

"Um...Hi" He blushes and fingers the thing in his hands when he suddenly looks up again. "Are you two the folks coming here to chase off the ghosts?!" the boy pretty much screamed at us, and me and Elfman look at each other. 

"Yeah we sure are" Elfman grinned encouragingly at the boy and I smile too. He was too cute, he could hardly be more than six. The boy began to grin an big grin full of gaped teeth and I couldn't help but giggle. He walked forward and handed me the thing in his hands. It was a small blue winter rose hardly bloomed.

"Thank you" I smile. I love flowers and this was such a sweet thing to do. There are friendly people here too I think and smell the soft velvety blue petals.

"Please get them all for me" the boy pleaded with big eyes. "They took my little sister" me and Elfman freeze and my heart grew cold. Children taken...I thought.  
"She was only three" the boy continued but he was looking at Elfman now. Elfman's face was soft and he hunkered down next to the boy so his shoulders were level with the lad's head.  
"Do you have any sisters, sir?" he asked and played with his fingers clad in thick black cow hide gloves.

"What's your name?" Elfman somberly asked a question before he answered. 

"Rojin" he answered.

"Well Rojin I have two sisters, one older and one younger" Elfman answered and I couldn't help feel sad or remorse watching this interaction.

"Wow two!" Rojin gaped with amazement and looked at me. "That must be awesome!".

"Yeah they are pretty cool" Elfman smiled.

"Do they have the same snow hair as you?" Rojin reached up and gently tugged a small handful of his hair. I giggle, some of the sadness lifting as they boy's did, Elfman snorts in amusement but gently pulls Rojin away from his head.

"Careful mate, I only just got my head patched up" Elfman pushed back Rojin's parka hood and ruffled his fiery locks. "And yes their hair colour is the same as mine".

"Wow! Nobody here has hair like dat!" Rojin looked at Elfman with little boy wonder. I look behind me and was surprised that he wasn't the least bit concerned by Gnash's presence. But he was clearly too interested by Elfman's appearance to consider her's.

"My sister's hair was like mine too...And my Ma's" the boy said and he fingered his wavy red hair that came down to the nape of his neck. It felt like my heart was about to break and I hunkered down next to Rojin and Elfman too. The boy's eyes were wet and he took a very shaky breath to keep it together.  
"My sister didn't have much as mine. But it was much curlier. I would've loved curls like dat...".

"Rojin" I say very gently. "We will get them for you, I promise".

"Really?!" Rojin stared at me with big eyes. "You will actually?!".

"Of course! Man's word" Elfman hit his chest and smiled encouragingly. Rojin turned to him and grinned his gap toothed grin and was nearly jumping up and down with joy.

"Thank you!-" he began.

"Rojin!" a loud obnoxious voice shouted next to us. All four heads turn to the house to the left and me and Elfman frown at the huge man that filled the door way. He had dark gray hair, lank and in dreads, and was as tall as he was broad. He had a stomach that had clearly ate too many meals and drank too many beers, narrow shoulders and was just over six feet tall. The more I looked the more repulsed I was. Where there should be a chin there was only a piece of fat, and his eyes were like small raisins on his pasty gray face.

Ew! I thought and stood up with Elfman. 

"Rojin! Get your useless ass over here. Now!" the man bellowed. I look at the little boy and the villagers around us. They didn't even pay attention to this and just scowled at us as they walked by.

"That's my Da..." Rojin whimpered and backed away from all three of us. "While you are getting the ghosts... Please get him too!" at that Rojin turned and ran up to his dad who grabbed him by the scruff and forcefully threw him inside. We heard him hit something as he landed.

"Hey!" Elfman yelled and took a step forward but Lady Gnash laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. 

"What do you want stranger?!" Rojin's dad growled and walked down the steps. I noticed that he had tats on his ears that swirled and spun.

"Remember you need to stay on the good side of these people" Lady Gnash whispered to us. "Don't start fights".

Elfman glared at Rojin's dad and his hands bunched into fists. I was gripping the rose in my hands so hard, the brittle thorns were biting into my palms. This man is little Rojin's dad?! I think aghast. How can a little boy that sweet be the son to a man like that?! I heard footsteps stop behind me and I turn around to see Logan return behind me from wherever he was.

"Flynn, these two are the guild members from Fairy Tail. They are here to assist us in our troubles" Logan smiled winningly at this Flynn and settled both hands on my shoulders. I hear all preparations for whatever the people were doing stop, and all three of us were under the scrutiny of the village. Irritation wriggled in me and I force myself to stop my shoulders from shrugging him off. I can't appear hostile or unhappy or they will never trust us. I just see out of the corner of my eye Elfman's lips thin at the site of his hands on my shoulders. But he knew the situation too and forced himself to look away.

"These two?!" Flynn roared and marched forward until he was a meter away. Even from here he smelt foul. "They look like jokes! You the useless cheerleader" Flynn pointed at me. I hiss but force it into a smile. "And whatever the fuck is wrong with this guy!" he pointed to Elfman. "What are you? Some giant? Some beast?".

"More or less" Elfman growled. I look at him and Elfman deliberately grew huge claws from his hands and fangs forced his jaws apart. His eyes turned red and like wolves and he rolled his shoulders menacingly. I only thought that happened during a blood moon! Flynn backed up and eyed him warily.

"You stay the fuck away from me!".

I look up and see Rojin peeking his head out from behind the door, he was holding his face where he hit the wall in his fathers throw. The way he looked at Elfman...He was entranced with his magic. And he looked like he wanted him to rip into his father. I step forward to calm the situation down.

"I assure you. Me and Elfman wouldn't have been sent here if we weren't up to the job" I explain and smile. Everyone mutters at this and eyes us. I glare at Elfman and he just sighs and changes back to normal. "We are here to help" I say and smile brightly at people. This is felt weird, trying to win people over. It feels like something Mira, or Lucy would do.

"What's your name love?" the metal worker put down some arrowheads and began attaching them to iron shafts.

"Evergreen. I'm a member of the Raijinshuu" I proclaim.

"Raijinshuu?!" people gasp.

"The Raijinshuu are here?!"

"That mean Laxus Dreyar is too!"

"If he is here then there is nothing to be worry about!" People were getting excited and my shoulders slumped with disappointment. Would they even know my name or remember it if I didn't mention the Raijin?... I sigh and shove my hands in my pockets. Do they even know who Evergreen is?

"No Laxus isn't here" Elfman stepped forward and drew the attention away from me. I felt so embarrassed, but I am very grateful he did that. The groan of disappointment was a slap to the face and I fight to control my temper.  
"Look" Elfman spoke. "We can help you, and we will help you. I know a lot about Draugrs, and trust me. There are four other teams with powerful wizards, including Laxus. That are working right now to help all of you on this island, and the other villagers".

"Come on, you heard the man" Logan smile Jovially and gave Elfman a friendly smack on the back. I watched Elfman's brow furrow, and a thunder cloud could've looked brighter than his expression.  
"He and the lovely lady here..." I smile truly at the comment and Elfman had to force his hands in his pockets so no one could see his fists.  
"Have work to do" Logan finished and winked at me. "As do all of you. We don't want to be exposed during the night" he pulled both me and Elfman back. I crane my head to catch a last glimpse of Rojin before his father stormed back up and slammed the door shut.

"Now you too must meet my brother. He is the village leader, and he will give you anymore information you require" Logan grinned at Elfman but it never reaches his eyes. "I'm sure you will like him" he says to Elfman.

"If he is anything like you I wont" Elfman growls and pulls away from him. I almost smirked at Elfman bluntness and Logan's shocked face that rapidly grew darker. But soon he smiled and he turned back around and quickly walked forward towards a large building near the center of the village.

"You need to watch Elfman, and Logan" Gnash whispered in my ear. I shiver and look up at her.  
"I've never met a person that angers Logan like Elfman does. But Logan is dangerous and will try to do anything to get back at Elfman. Even if it means letting people die. Even if it means using you" my stomach turns sour and I feel the hair on my neck stand on end as I watched Logan's back.

"Will he actually try to do something?" I whisper.

"Lets just say, the old leader of the village disappeared very soon when he denied Logan rights to mining materials. His body was found a week later at the bottom of the old leaders favorite fishing lake. There was no evidence that it was Logan. But the forest has eyes and I know" Lady Gnash finished and I stare at Logan's back. Logan may be very pleasant, and flattering. But by no means do I trust him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay next chapter. So in case you are wondering Rojin, is said like; Row-gin. Like the drink. He has a part to play in the story, and also things will pick up after this chapter. Anyway thank you for reading and or reviewing. Lots of love.
> 
> San-of-the-forest.


	9. Elfman

Two days have passed since Logan had taken us to the big house to meet his brother and be given our accommodations. The brother was nothing like Logan. He was meek and shy with watery gray eyes and thinning hair, and had absolutely no back bone. He looked like he would yield in a fight against a goat, and is stupid enough to probably not know what a goat was. No wonder Logan practically ran the village and manipulated his brother. In fact I don't even recall learning his name. However there has been no word from the other teams, purely because of the lack of Lacrimas, the only way to send word to the other four teams was by crow. We were given one in our accommodations for our indefinite stay here, and gods he was a pain in the ass. Me and Ever waded over to the town library through the foot and a half deep snow, and the bastard was being a bastard. The pesky menace wouldn't stop hopping up and down on my shoulder.

"Calm the fuck down, Ugly!". Yes that's what I've named our crow. Ugly.

"Don't be so mean" Ever chided as we began to finally see the library. Unlike our bird, it is a very grand building for the people who live here. It was covered in Celtic carvings, the top of each wall's corner was mounted with amazingly carved figures of deer's heads. The door was carved in Celtic dogs. 

"Ever, have you seen the bird?" I gesture to the damn thing. He was huge for a crow, bigger than a large cat in fact. With claws longer than the length of my little finger and always threatening to dig in, however he never did for some reason. And I was very grateful. He had big scars across his beak and his feathers were long and gave him a rough look. And holy shit his eyes...They are about the size of my thumb nail. So pretty big. 

"Yes I have indeed seen the bird, and I happen to like the bird" Ever said and puffed through the snow. Ugly spun on me and cawed triumphantly right in my ear.

"For fucks sake! Don't do that!" I yell and swat the bird off my shoulder. But he just hopped right back on.

"Oh come on...He reminds me a little of you" Ever wheezed out a laugh and we trudged up the small stairs to the Library's door. 

"That's just rude!" I say and feel embarrassed. Seriously this bird is ugly, and I know I'm not pretty but come on!

"No not like that!" Ever groaned up and tugged off her boots. Footwear is forbidden in the library, and I lean down to do the same. Somehow, Ugly, stays on as I lean right over. "I mean the bird is always cawing and making a right racket, like you. Also that bird is big, like seriously. He is huge!" she moved her hands in and out to emphasis this. But she did not see her fatal error and I grinned evilly at her lowered head.

"Why Ever...How did you know?" I grin and lean against the carved door. Ever's face looked at me with confusion and I drop a subtle wink. It was like a red paint pall exploded in her face.

"Elfman!!! What the hell.." She screamed.

"Shh" I held my finger up to my lips. "It's a library". She brutally pounds her fists against my chest and I wince. She maybe smaller than me but she packs a punch. "Okay, okay, calm down. I was only joking" I smile reassuringly, and Ugly bellows in Ever's face.

"That was a stupid joke!" Ever growled, still blushing badly. Puffing her hair out of her face in distaste, the woman stomped inside the large library.

"Come on, you left yourself open" I whisper and step into the library. It was an old and much loved building, and I immediately felt reassured as I stepped in. The walls were lined with the dusty, black parchment scrolls, particular to The Dark Sea islanders. There were great glass window at the front that shined pale light into the room that was so pure, you could see the little shadows of falling snow flakes on the dark timber that my feet stood on. I turn my head and looked at Ugly, who's great beak was inches from my eye.  
"You know what's funny?" I whisper to him. "We aren't allowed shoes in here. But they let you, a great big bird in, when you can shit everywhere". Ugly cawed once and began cleaning his feathers. It wasn't heated this library so the cold immediately attacked my feet and I shuffled awkwardly. 

"What are we looking for?" I walk over to Ever who was peering at the spine of the scrolls. Ever scowled at me and I smile, it was amusing to see she can be riled up so easily on a particular joke.

"Do you remember that passage Levy told us?" Ever said and focused purely on her work.

"Yeah something about a....First one, I think" I tap my jaw in memory and look at the ceiling.

"Yes" Ever turned back to her scrolls and frowned at the queer runes etched into the bone scroll mounts. "I'm mainly interested in the part: 'Bones shall tread, until the First's famine is slacked, where he shall sleep again and turn all black bones back'" she recited. She paused at a particular scroll and picked it up. It was a meter long, and the tightly bound paper was the thickness of my fist when wrapped around the base.  
"You know about Draugr's. Does 'The First One' sound familiar?" Ever now looked up at me.

I grunt and rub my head, and Ugly grabbed my forefinger with his clawed foot and gave it a shake.

"Oi, don't do that" I pull my hand away and sigh. "Me, and Lisanna are probably the only two people in Magnolia that know about Draugr. Hell I would even dare to say Fiore, if it weren't for those frog scholars. But they were around so long ago that any recorded information was either lost or barely readable. I've never heard anything about this 'First One'" I say and Ever nods.  
"But if I say anything. The First One sounds like it is the original Draugr"

"That makes sense" Ever begins to unwind her scroll. "This scroll had the symbol for 'dead' I thought it might help" Ever said. "I was thinking if we found out where The First One is, we could trap it or stop it and the Draugr would go away. But I don't know...We could always just pay Gnash a visit and ask her..." Ever smiled at me coyly.

"No" I glower and take Ugly's feet into my hand. Moving to the side I put his huge body on a candle stick holder.

"Oh come on, she only licked you the once. And you were unconscious" Ever sighed and began to read.

"It's not just that..." I trail off and Ever peers at me over the edge of the scroll.

"Then what is it?".

"She...She unnerves me" I rub my head awkwardly.

"Well yeah she does that to me too, but so does your sister sometimes. What's up?" she asked me. I sigh and pinch between my eyes. Me and Ever did promise to be open with each other, so I look up and smile wearily.

"Lady Gnash and I have something in common. We both have beast souls" I move around the large room to keep my feet warm. Ever pauses what she is reading and looks at me with calm eyes.

"I take it beast souls are rare?".

"I was the only one I knew of before her" I reply and Ever lowers her scroll in surprise.

"What about Mirajane? Doesn't she have a beast soul". I shake my head. "A demons soul?". I shake my head again and think of how to explain this. 

"Mira-nee can turn into a demon, because a demon tried to posses her body" I look up and Ever's eyes were wide. "Even she doesn't quite know how she did it, but she managed to kind of grasp the life of the demon and cage it" I made a cage with my fingers. "That's how she uses take overs. She lets the new demon try to posses her, and then she binds it to her. And then she can use its form for herself".

"Can other people do it?" Ever asked. 

"There is a lot of history of mages that can do this to demons. But none in our generation" I say.

"What about Lisanna?" Ever lowered her scroll further.

"No beast soul either" I walk closer. "She has an affiliation with animals. It is a common thing for all take over mages to be affiliated with animals. But she isn't common, she is strong in her own way" I smile reassuringly. 

"So if neither Mira or Lisanna have a soul affiliated with their take over creatures" I shake my head again and Ever looks puzzled. "Then how come you have one? And how come it took you a long time to master a take over?".

I flush with embarrassment at the last question and shuffle my feet, if Ever knew she had embarrassed me she didn't show it. "The first question I can't answer. I think take over is just in the Strauss bloodline. The last however..." I growl the last part and glare at her. She still didn't react, and I sigh. "No one really knows why it took me awhile. Mira nee believes it's because my soul partially rejected the other beast souls that I took over".

"But if you have a beast soul wouldn't it be easier?".

I shook my head and rolled my hands exasperatedly. "I think it rejected them because it didn't recognize them, or didn't find them powerful enough to be worth the time. Until I found the 'king of beasts'" I quote the beast. "Also I do have a human soul. It's just that the two of them are kinda merged into one" I move my hands around like I was shaping dough and let them drop. "Have you read anything worth while?" I didn't really like that conversation and I ended it quickly.

"No it's just a bunch of death records" Evergreen sighed and replaced the scroll. "I don't understand about your soul though..."

"Ever!" I say quietly but with force and she looked startled at my anger. "I don't want to talk about that..."I say more softly. "Having a soul like this...It can be quite scary" I only said this and crossed my arms to end the statement and conversation.

"I can understand that" Ever insisted on continuing the matter. "But aren't you happy that you have met another beast soul?".

I frown and raise a hairless brow. "Ever would you be happy if you found out Gnash was your long lost sister?".

"Oh come on. You can't chose your soul mate" Ever grinned at me and I stare at her as she began to cackle.

"Seriously, Ever?! Seriously!!" I say and felt my lips twitch upwards against my will. She just laughed harder and a unmanly giggle escaped my lips. "Yeah bald, with black lips, war paint, and pointy teeth are totally my type" I begin to laugh and the once solemn library was now the wealth of laughter. I breathe heavily and turn to the door. "Come on. Staying here isn't solving anything" Ever nods in agreement and we approach the door. Ugly cawed and flapped back to my shoulder.

"Oh for gods sake bird!" I hiss and lift my shoulder higher so the heavy damn thing didn't drag my arm down.

"Oh be nice. You're his perch" Ever laughed at her joke and I smile back. She was in a good mood this morning. I roll my eyes and tug back on my boots and wriggled my toes as they began to warm back up again.

"I do think we should take Gnash's advice though" I walk back into the snow and lift my head up to feel the snowflakes on my face. "I think we should try taking a bone of a Draugr". Ever is silent and I turn around to look at her.

"Are you sure? You said themselves they are immortal or unkillable" she moved up next to me. I nod. I don't like it but it seems we have to face these things head on and just grab a bone. "It will be easier said than done".

"That's obvious especially when you say it" Ever walked forward towards the dark gray path that lead to the beach.

"I can't tell if you are trying to be rude or if it just come naturally" I growl and walk behind her. We weren't going to attack and claim a Draugr bone now. We need to scope the beach, lure one Draugr out. Anymore and there will be serious trouble. And then we need to take the bone to Gnash while warding off the Draugr. To make it harder we have to pick a big Draugr, which will no doubt be more powerful. I shudder at the memory of the sharp and powerful jaws clamping down on my calf muscle and begin to saw through the sinew and tissue. It was fucking, indescribably, painful and horrible to endure. Luckily, Ever, kicked the damn things head away or my leg would be gone below the knee. We walk out of the spikes surrounding the village and runes glowed blue as our feet touched them. If anything inhuman touched or crossed these borders, an alarm would go off. The villagers were doing more work, like creating sharp spears and thick machetes with deep runes scratched on them. I urged them to focus on defenses but they ignored my advice and focused purely on offence if it comes to it. We were walking up the hill when Ever decided to speak again.

"Do you think it is worth it? Asking about The First One that is?".

"Yes?" I answered in bewilderment. From what the passage says, ridding the world of The First will end the Draugr.

"What if The First one isn't even close to the village?".

"Well we have, Ugly, here" I stroke the top of the crows head and he gently nibbled my fingers. "If we find out where The First One is then we just send him".

"But the closest village is hundreds upon hundreds of miles away. It would take him an age to get to Mira's and that bitch Erza's village" Ever growled Erza's name and I ignore her own rudeness towards the female knight.

"Then lets just hope Ugly flies fast" I reply and we walk in silent for a long time until we reach the top of the hill.

"Although Gnash is beyond weird, I trust what she says" I tell. "I believe we should take a bone to her first. It may tell us something about The First One". I scan the shore line and I felt unease. There was seagulls swirling over the shore line. Snow rabbits in the long spiky grass just before the rocky terrain of the beach started. There was life on the beach when it was barren in fear of the creatures in the sea.

"How do we draw a Draugr out?-" Ever started and placed on foot on the beginning of the shore when I stopped her. 

"Wait Ever!" I exclaim and draw her back.

"What is it?" she asked and frowned at me.

"Look" I pointed at the circling crows and then to the docile rabbits further down. "When we landed on this beach, did you see any forms of life?".

"Life?" she looked at the animals and then frowned deeper. "I don't know, I was kinda focused on getting you to a healer. But...besides Logan and the men he brought I don't think so" Ever looked closely at the sea. "Are they waiting for us? To ambush or something?".

"Animals and beasts have a greater sense of the unknown" I explain. "If there was anything as threatening or unusual as the Draugr, they would be far from here".

"So what are you saying? They are no longer in the ocean here?" Ever gestured to the black foaming surf of the sea.

"No...I don't think they have returned yet!" I turn around and begin to run back to the village. Ugly cawed and then took off into the sky and followed me. I ran back to the village and didn't look back. I had to trust that Ever is following and judging by the stomping of feet she was. 

We race over the boarder again and I look around the village. Birds were in the sky and all farm life is calm as ever. Wherever the things have gone, they weren't here. "Dammit" I sigh and I rub my forehead.

"What is it?!" Ever panted and skidded to a halt next to me. 

"They are not here" I growl and pace.

"Then were did they go?!" Ever hissed back and walked closer. I look around and the villagers were looking at us warily and muttering to themselves.

"Come on" I whisper and pull us around the back of a house.

"Well?!" Ever hissed again, her face red from the laborious run.

"Ever, I don't think they are in the ocean" I whisper and I look around uneasily. 

"Then where are they?!".

"I don't know!" I snapped sharply and we stared at each other in silence. Ugly cawed ominously and Ever looked around.

"So if they aren't in the beach, then where are they?" Ever looked around her eyes wide.

"Ever..." I rub my head with distress. "Where would they be?". She falters and gnaws her lip heavily. 

"We need to talk to Gnash".

"Why do you need to talk to her?" an annoyingly familiar voice asked from the entrance of the ally. I nearly jump out of my socks we both spin to glower at Logan who stroked his beard.

"..." I say nothing and glare at him.

"Is there a problem?" he asked and smiled winningly at Ever. "Because if there is a problem concerning the safety of my villagers, then I'm afraid your assistance here will be more...Delicate".

"N-no" Ever walked forwards and took Logan by the arm so they were linked by the elbows. I felt something burn with a deadly passion in my stomach as the two saunter away. Logan pulled Ever closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Heat crept up my face like a vine but I couldn't move, as Ever wrapped her free arm around his back and shuffled into his side. They began talking to each other as if they were old friends and Ever didn't even look at me. 

Why is she doing this? I felt betrayed. I know I shouldn't, I know she doesn't have any feelings for this man. But could she? She looked all to easy to step up close to him and into his arm. I felt...Crushed, and really badly hurt. I mean sure I don't have a silver tongue that can dish out compliments like father Christmas. But was his company that much better than my own? Ever suddenly laughed with Logan and raised a hand in the air.

"After me and Logan chat, I'm going to talk to Gnash. Just stay here Elfman and do your own thing" Ever didn't even look at me but continued smiling dreamily at Logan!

"Right...You do that" I murmur so quietly I know they didn't hear it. But I did and I watched them go and I lean back against the wall behind me. "Come on just get on with it..." I sigh and close my eyes. I felt so lost and empty now. I didn't think she would do that. Do what? What did you expect her to do? I ask myself and my stomach bunches and knots. Expect her not to revel in the attentions from another? To stay with me and pick my company over Logan's? I was her second choice in the guild and clearly I'm her second choice for company out here. Ugly caws and tugs at a lock of my hair with his huge beak.  
"Cut it out!" I growl sharply.

"You look sad" a high pitched voice said above me. I spin around, my hands up and my eyes narrowed defensively. Big blue eyes were looking at me over a high up window sill with just the smallest piece of red hair sticking out.

"Rojin..." I sigh and relax slightly. I didn't know that we went behind his house.

"Why are you sad? Is it because that pretty lady left with Mr. Logan?" Rojin leaned out further and tugged a piece of his hair over his left eye.

"Maybe...I didn't know you had seen that" I sigh and kick the snow. "Her name is Evergreen by the way".

"Wow that's a nice name" Rojin looks at the tall dark pines that loomed above the house and behind me. "It's nothing like this place. I'm sorry about the other day. I told you my name but I didn't get yours. What is it?".

"Elfman" I smile wanly at him with a hint of amusement as his eyes widened.

"Like the fair folk of the forest?!" Rojin gasped in excitement.

"Probably. But I also probably don't look anything like them" I laugh at my self pity.

"I dunno. Maybe" Rojin reached down and tugged the hair around my head and then smiled. "In a certain way you do. You have the big blue eyes that look like pointed flower petals..."

"Um...That's not manly" I interrupt. 

"And you have white hair. You seem like one to me!" Rojin grinned his gaped tooth grin at me.

"Well kid I don't feel fair right now" I sighed. Rojin frowns and leans down even further to grab my ears and make the tips into points, when I see something.

"Wait!" I grab his arm and step up closer.

"Uh..What-what are you doing?!" Rojin tried to shimmy away but I had him firm in my hand. Reaching up, I take the fiery red hair covering his eye in my finger and pull it up. There was a black and blue bruise blooming on his eye, that covered the entire thing and well over the brow bone. My hands start quivering and my breath becomes ragged in rage.

"He did this to you, didn't he?" my voice was calmer than I felt. Anger was growing in me by the second and Rojin curled up on the window sill and buried his head in his arms.

"Da did it because he heard me ask you to get him like the ghosts" Rojin whimpered.

"He heard that?! But he was all the way back at the door!" I hiss.

"Did ya see the tats on his ears? With those, he can hear the quickest breath of a mouse" Rojin took a sharp breath to demonstrate. "The other people here call him avalanche man, cause dat's his job" the little boy nodded seriously. "He is very important to the village. He is up in the mountains now. Listening for the snow to move" Rojin cocks his head to the side to pretend to listen. "When he heard me say to you those things. He got me so I would say no more. But I showed him!" Rojin snarled at the mountains.

"Rojin" I say and lift my arms up. "Do you want to stay here?". Rojin's eyes went wide and he stared at me for a long time. 

"Your not gonna get my Da?" he whispered.

"I can't" I reply. Ever wasn't in my thoughts anymore. This poor little boy had my sole attention.

"But-But" Rojin looked like he is going to cry.

"But..." I say. "That doesn't mean I can't take you with me" I gesture my arms towards me again. "We can take you back to our guild. We can teach you to fight, how to learn magic. We can do all of this, and you will never have to see Flynn again".

"I can leave here? To a place that is Evergreen?" Rojin blinked at me with his swollen black eye and looked like he was going to cry even more. I nod and smile at him.

"As long as there is no other adult here that is your family that you would rather stay with-"

"No" Rojin interrupts me. "My Ma is dead. My sister is dead. My real Da is dead".

"Real dad?" I ask but Rojin shakes his head.

"Please let me come with you" the six year old whimpers and reaches out his arms. I smile and lift him up from his perch and place him down in the snow, and I crouched next to him and the boy starts to cry.

"Is there anything you need?" I ask softly and gesture to what I expect is his room.

Rojin shakes his head violently and suddenly charges into my chest, his little arms wrapping as much as they can around my ribs. His cries filled the muted forest behind and echoed in the streets that no longer had any birds flying above it. And no live stock to be seen, devoid of any signs of life but the humans. But my heart is heavy and I didn't notice this but I let him cry there, slowly stroking the top of his fiery head. This is going to be hard to explain to the guild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Elfman being a father like figure.I know this chapter is late but so flay me. I had to re write it three times because it didn't look right, and I find writing for Elfman far harder than writing for Ever. Anyway, read, review and like. All is great!
> 
> Lots of Love
> 
> San-of-the-forest


	10. Chapter 10

I step into Logan's side and smile at him willingly. But gods I didn't feel as convincing as I looked. Don't look back at Elfman. Don't look back. If I did it would throw off my entire act that I was about to do. Elfman would definitely not like this, he really hates Logan and I know he doesn't like the way this man openly flirts with me...

"Ah I thought you were the leader of the two of you. You look the type to put a man like him in his place" Logan laughs at his rude joke and I force a pretty laugh out too. If only you knew what he is truly like I thought and wish I was back over with Elfman. I try not to squirm as Logan's arm slides down to my waist and his finger deeply trace patterns into the fabric against my flesh. Don't react! I say to myself like it was a mantra. If this was any other situation, this man would be on the ground with a broken nose. But this was a different situation. And a much more dangerous one.

"After me and Logan chat, I'm going to talk to Gnash. Just stay here Elfman and do your own thing" . There is some loyalty I owe him and here I am, pretending to step on it and let this man touch me for the sake of keeping the villager's peace. Gods I feel like shit.

"What is that man's 'own thing' " Logan smirked arrogantly to himself and I clench my teeth. Logan saunters behind a row of houses just under the cover of the trees towards the path.

"I don't really know, he will probably go leer at some young girls" I lie, but I need to keep Logan distracted while Elfman finds where the Draugr are. If he heard what I said, I don't know how I could ever explain it to him.

"Seriously? You are friends with someone like that? I wouldn't know what to do now, knowing that..." Logan's fingers blessedly stopped drawing patterns.

"Well I don't know" I look through my lashes into Logan's eyes and they were looking straight back into mine. Looking for some weakness to exploit, though over me or Elfman I couldn't tell. "I don't know him as well as others".

"Well I wouldn't say that..." Logan drawled but there was an edge to his voice that made me wary or him at once. "After my small...Blunder, of saying that mistake that you were defenseless on your way to see Gnash. He was all too willing, to defend you. You might not know him that well, but he certainly seems to know you". My escort stopped moving and forced me to stop too. "Evergreen, I don't like the idea of this, Elfman, being in my village if all he is going to do is stare at pretty girls. And I want to know what you and Elfman were discussing back there".

"We were discussing personal issues" I lie vehemently. "This isn't your village. It is your brother's. And you can trust Elfman-" I try to say but I was cut off.

"If this was my brother's village, everything would go backwards" Logan stepped in front of me and held my elbows so tightly I could tell they would bruise. But I didn't move or say anything. I just glared at him through my glasses. To react at all would give him the satisfaction that he was worth any attention from me. "Everyone here would be eating shit for breakfast because our food would be less than shit! My brother is as stupid as an ass, and we wouldn't have an income to keep this tiny, insignificant waste pile alive. This village lives because of me!" Logan hissed at me and his face got even closer to mine.

"And this village will die because of you if you don't trust Elfman!" I retort and wrench my arms from his.

"Careful girl. You don't want to make the mistake of crossing me..." Logan warned with a calm face but a cold anger was creeping into his. An anger colder than Gray's magic. I felt my own anger though. But red hot and furious. This man was presumptuous enough to think he can threaten me, when we are here to help him!

"You think you are so powerful huh?" I thrust my face in his, my flirtatious act long in the past. "Well tell me, Logan. If you are so powerful then why do you need help from us?!" I snarl. My face snapped back a fraction of a second before I felt the pain and I staggered back in the snow. "Ah..." I falter and touch my mouth. Blood pooled in my hand and dull throbbing pain stretched beneath the skin of my mouth. I didn't even see Logan move.

"Ha, the only female of the Raijinshuu". I look up and Logan begins rolling up his sleeves. Long Celtic knots and tattoos traveled up his arms, over the major bones, they became hidden as the rolled edge of his coat and sleeve began. They glowed red and rolled and twisted with a life of their own. "You know I can see why there is only one of you" Logan's cold anger looked even darker in the gloom of the trees and I looked at the blood on my hand and felt my anger burn brighter than before. "You are so pathetic that they would be ashamed to have another. Why do they keep you around? For some sport?".

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" I scream at him and my glasses were in my hand before he knew it. Logan's eyes widened and before he could look away, the paralysis of my eyes had taken him. I've never been so happy to see a statue. "YOU KNOW WHY I'M A MEMBER OF THE RAIJINSHUU?!" I scream at him and took out my fan and tested the weight. Whenever I hit Elfman, I always make sure to hit him with the fabric of the fan. Never, the butt of the weapon. I flip the fan in my hand and smash the hard steel butt into the bridge of his stone nose. Parts of it crumbled and smashed off, the rest left uneven and demented. I love this fan. It was a gift from Laxus on my birthday, when he remembered it. "It's because I can crush a man into dust, without caring about what they look or feel in the end". I tapped the top of his head with my fan and looked into his stone eyes, wide in shock. 

"I know you are hearing this, so listen well. You are imperfect. You are unworthy of my skill of crafting a statue from a stone. Or in this case, a statue into a pile of stones. I only let the worthy masterpieces remain untouched. You are far from worthy, and I've made you less so. And..." I lean forward and whisper in his ear. "I can do it again". I lean back and feel my mouth and jaw throb. I ran my bloody and throbbing tongue over my teeth and felt that none were broken, but my lip was split and I had badly bitten my tongue. Snarling I lean forward and spat the blood in Logan's frozen face.

"When I unfreeze you. You will need to patch up that nose, you could bleed out" I put my hand on top of his forehead and with some effort, I push the statue over and it slams to the snow with a thud. I spit the last of the blood on him and begin to walk away. Gods I am angry! Some sport for Bickslow, Freed and Laxus?! I walk around the houses and lean against one for support. I tenderly touch my lip and wince in pain. Those tattoos down his arms...I didn't see Logan move when he struck me, and the tattoos from these lands have power.

"He can move too fast to see" I mutter and remove my fingers from my mouth. "So much for cunning and decisive". Gnash's words replayed in my mind, her telling me and Elfman how devious and cautious Logan is. "If you were truly cautious, you would never have hit me" I whisper to the trees in the distance, where a statue with no true nose lay in the snow. I turn around and walk up the path towards the vast and intimidating forest at the top of the hill. I wanted too, but couldn't go back to Elfman. I didn't need comfort, but I just wanted to be near his presence and explain my actions to him. But I couldn't yet. I needed to see Gnash and see if she knows where the Draugr are. And if Elfman saw my bloody mouth...I can't tell what he would do. So I continued to trudge up the gravel path, and my thoughts cycled around and around. Logan attacking and touching me. Elfman, and our secrets shared between us, and our loyalty. And Gnash, how she is part of the main reason why we are here. Focus on Gnash, I tell myself, and yet my mind was drawn inevitably towards those two men. I lick my lips and taste the blood the is now beginning to clot in the wound. I was just reaching the top of the hill when I remembered something. It was the fight over Fairy Tail guild. The Raijinshuu had stupidly decided to pit ourselves against an entire guild, and who did I fight. Elfman Strauss. I won, and I expected too, and I can never remember the exact details of the fight. But it was what Elfman said before our fight that stuck with me. How he doesn't want to hurt me or fight me.

"Why were you so considerate?" I said to the menacing pine trees as I stepped into their gloom. In my experience with men, they were seldom so. And yet he was. He was a pure example of how a man should be. My thought's stopped when Gnash's hut began to appear between the great spikes of branches, many small candles flickering bravely against the gloom in the two yellow windows. As soon as I step out from the trees I could sense something...different. I look around and this place was no less changed than the last time we were here. Yes, that's the difference, there was no change. A pool of blood was still frozen in the snow, just outside Gnash's door. And to the right were two sets of footprints pacing all around the snow, until they halted directly in front of each other. I felt my cheeks flame the longer I looked. That's where I hugged him...I shiver and I don't know why. Wood creaked beneath me and the steps complained at my extra weight as I walked up to the door. But I quickly raised my hand, but before I even had the chance to knock the door opened eerily with a whispering creek, and the cold black hallway stretched out in front of me.

"Come in" a gravelly voice said. I shiver and reluctantly step inside Gnash's domain, as soon as I enter, the door slams behind me ominously.

"I'm down here" I heard Gnash's voice come from the room at the end of the hallway, in the room where she stitched up Elfman. I lift my head high, well aware of my bloody mouth, and I push aside the curtain and step in. Gnash was cleaning her blades, each lined up from shortest to largest. The shortest one was the length of my forearm. And in the center of the table, a largish object sat covered in pristine white linen. 

"Lady Gnash, we need your help-"

"I saw what Logan did" Gnash muttered and picked up a blade made of glass. I clench my jaw and regretted it as my jaw throbbed.

"Yes. Fine. You did" I say and roll my jaw. "So what?".

Gnash stood up and took another white rag from her pocket. She then pulled out a dusty bottle and sprinkled strange red liquid onto it. She extended the rag to me in offering. I pull a face and step away from her. "This is no bear piss" Gnash offered it forward again. I take the rag reluctantly and bring it to my nose. It smelt of clovers and pine needles.   
"See. No bear piss" Gnash said again and watched me with her big black eyes as I dab my split lip. It stung badly, and I hiss in pain, but soon the wound turns numb and my aching jaw.

"Why isn't Elfman here?" she returned to examining her blades.

"The situation... Wasn't appropriate for him to be here" I answer and look away.

"If he was there you wouldn't of been hit" bared her teeth at me, Gnash's eyes twinkled evilly.

" I don't need to be protected by anyone!" I hiss and throw her rag back onto the table.

"I didn't say you need protecting. I'm just saying you wouldn't have been hit" Gnash picked up the rag and sniffed the blood on it.

"He...He moved so fast" I look intensely at the covered object and ponder. Logan is such a talented actor. From the beginning he seemed friendly and had the purest of silver tongues that even I was beginning to believe. But it took just one wrong thing to say and that well polished act broke like thin ice.

"That's because of the runes I put on him" Gnash pointed the tip of the knife at me and looked down the flat I the blade at me. With her war paint, and strangely black eyes, she looked far more frightening when holding a blade.

"You put those runes on him?!" I gasp and clench my fists.

"Who else has the skill without killing people" Gnash put the knife down and leaned back in her chair. "I have given tattoos to every single person down in that village. Even babes. I believe you and Elfman would benefit with tattoos as well".

"What?!" I felt my jaw drop and I looked at the pristine, white skin on my hands. "Why would we need tattoos?".

"Well it could make it difficult for things like a bloody mouth happen" Gnash picked out a needle and cleaned out the runes etched perfectly along the side of the glass blade. "I could thicken your and Elfman's natural body defenses. I could make you faster, stronger. I could make your pain tolerance much higher. The list goes on" Gnash, gnashed her teeth in a wicked smile. "If Logan had the gift of foresight, he would've asked me to draw the patterns to be immune to being petrified. He might still have a nose if he did that".

"Look, thank you. The offer is much appreciated. But we're not interested" I say forcefully and crops my arms so the matter is closed.

"We?" Gnash muttered and cocked her head. "Since when do you speak for Elfman?".

"I don't, but I'm pretty sure he won't want a tattoo either".

"Hmm, you never know. I trust he told you what I am?" Gnash's change of topic was so sudden it was surprising.

"Um...well yeah he did" I mutter and look pointedly away.

"Do I know frighten you child, because of what I am? Because of what we are?" The woman laced her fingers together.

I decide to answer honestly. I'm not a woman to mince around words. "He doesn't. But you are so different from what he is".

"Perhaps...By the way you should unfreeze Logan unless you want one of his less than savory friends to see you work".

I grunt and blink my eyes once. I was almost expecting to hear a scream as Logan felt the pain of having your nose crumbled off. I was disappointed.

"True I am different compared to Elfman. But the only difference is age, and how we use our souls" her long claws tapped an unknown song into the dark wood and I looked at her hands as she spoke.

"But you don't look old really". Gnash's face looks like it is carved from ice, sharp and angular. And very cold.

"Looks are deceiving". Tap, tap, tap went her nails on the wood.

"Well how old are you?" looking in her eyes, there was something unimaginably old about her. 

"Older than the great mountain's roots. Older than the most of the twinkling stars in the night's sky" Gnash's eyes began to look farther away and her fingers began to tap harder into the wood. "I remember when I was but a girl, there was only a few hundred stars in the sky, and they were pale and blue and cold. Now there a millions, all burning bright and hot and dangerous". The beast soul stood up and took the covered object from the table and cradled it fondly in her hands like it was a small child. "This is the only possession I have left from that time...".

She has lived this long?! shivers rolled over my skin vehemently. "What is that?" I point at the object in her arms. Gnash almost blanched in surprise and she blinked at me questioningly.

"Perhaps it is why you are here" Gnash stepped closer and removed the white linen from the object. I blink in surprise and the grotesqueness of what she has. A large black skull sat in her hands, with a slightly longer and narrower cranium. And a shiny white stone centered into the eye sockets. It almost felt like it was staring at me! It looked so old, and yet it also looked unbreakable. 

"Um...What am I supposed to do with that?".

"Look" Gnash held up the skull so it's eyes were level with mine. "Think what you are looking for and look". 

I pulled a face and reluctantly lean closer until the opal like eyes were a hand span away from mine.

Think what you are looking for... Great, okay. Let's try this. I breathe out steadily and let a thought cross my mind.  
Draugr in Hryggð. Nothing happened at first, but the longer I looked the more it felt like those big pale eyes were growing closer and closer.

"Ugh" I groan and then suddenly I was falling through them and into a place cold and bright. "Shit!" I cover my face as snow froze my face, and sleet peppered it. It had clearly started to snow and hail while I was out. I rub the moisture out of my eyes and took off my glasses to see better, I then squinted outwards. I was hovering in the sky, nothing seemed to be supporting me at all however. The wind howled, but it couldn't move me, however the coldness did happily attack my warm body. 

"Come on". I nearly lost my voice to the wind. "Where are they?". My eyes did adjust to the wind and brightness and slowly I could make out where I am.

"I'm above Hryggð..." that isn't good at all. If the Draugr are anywhere near here, than this village could be annihilated. "Shit where are they?" I lean down ignore the movements of the villagers that moved like ants around the village. I swoop down closer until I was level with the house's roofs and peered closer into any dark place where one could be hiding. "Come on, come on!" I hiss when movement captures my eyes. Down in an alley. I slowly recognize, and I realize that this was the alley me and Elfman went down. I move further in and I actually see Elfman was still here!

"What are you doing?" I float closer and see that next to him was sweet little Rojin sniffling into his hands. And there was a deep black bruise over his left eye. "Rojin!" I step closer until I was right next to the two of them and listen to Rojin cry and Elfman comfort him. His dad did this, that much was obvious. Wind whispered and my hand passed through Rojin's shoulder like soft butter when I tried to touch it. I've seen worse, heard worse, endured worse. But this was still terrible. The longer I looked, the more I saw little Rojin's face slowly stop crying, and his twisted mouth turned into a hopeful smile. Looking at Elfman, he was smiling down at the boy in an encouraging way, and I could tell that there was something he was going to tell me when we met up again. The wind growled like a lion while the trees creaked and groaned under its menace. I look up and peered into the trees as they rattled and shook with fury in the wind. That's when I saw them. Four pairs of green fire peered out of the tree's, roots, branches and boughs. Any heat in my face drained in a seconds and I ran back to Elfman.

"ELFMAN!! ELFMAN!" I scream and grab his shoulder. As soon as it made contact, my hand fell through and my body was dragged with it. "No!-" I shout and try to grab Elfman but it was to no avail. And I fell through Elfman and into the snow, but I didn't stop there. My stomach wrenched and squeezed and I fell through the snow and into the darkness below the earth. My head pounded and my stomach wrenched to a far more painful level. Surrounded by earth, I tried to take a breath. And with a heave in my lungs, I slammed up through the darkness and staggered backwards into Gnash's table with her knives.

"They-they are here!" I gasp while stumbling to my feet. Elfman! Rojin! Please look up!   
If I don't get there soon, gods know what will happen.The memory of a Draugr biting deeply into Elfman's leg replayed in my mind. And the news of the two child's corpses. And Rojin's sister dying....

I turn and run for the door, but my legs were wobbling from my out-of-body-experience and I crashed clumsily into the walls. I couldn't let anything happen to either of them. Dread filled up my heart at the thought of Elfman defending himself, and Rojin, against four un-dead, and gods know how many more were there. It's just...After everything everything that we have told each other. And the way he treats me, and the way he held me....I just can't let him get hurt. No. I wont allow it. I began to steady my legs and I was running full pelt for the door when I hear a whisper of Gnash's voice.

"Remember that secret you owe me..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hayyy. How you doing ;)  
> Okay it is official, Evergreen is far easier to write than Elfman. Maybe its because I'm a girl, or maybe because Elfman has a weird personality of being really macho and tough one minute. And then being all emotional and touchy feely the next...
> 
> Anyway read and or review, both a great!
> 
> Lots of Love.  
> San-of-the-forest.


	11. Elfman

Everything was quiet, except for the whimpering of Rojin. It is too quiet. I stand up and away from Rojin and look around. There was the natural murmur of the villagers behind us. The noise of metal beating metal, the sing song voices of traders trying to seduce their customers. The crunch of boots on snow as a group of men patrolled their borders for anything un-dead. Even the distant noise of a woodsman splitting logs for the spears they make to defend themselves.

"Rojin, be quiet for a second" I mutter, my hand placed on his head. He sniffled twice more and then was silent. I look around and try to listen for them, listen for the sounds of animals. The snort of a cow. The songs of the birds. Ugly ruffled his feathers and cawed angrily before taking off for the sky and far away from the village. Chills crept down my back, and I swallow thickly. The Draugr weren't on the beach, or they were far out at sea. But even so there should be some there?   
Maybe I'm jumping too soon to conclusions....But the evidence was unmistakable. No life around the village, no animals or anything? And everything was too quiet. Surely the Draugr can't be here. In the village, not with the protective runes up. But still, despite people dying and children like Rojin's sister being taken...The village is far too relaxed, and maybe their runes too. I've noticed it when we arrived here, and I'm noticing it now. Hell even Rojin's father has done nothing, despite his youngest daughter has been taken and made into the horrors that plague this island.

"What is it?" Rojin mumbled and rubbed his nose roughly. Snow crunched around the ally, and I ignore the boy.

"Hmm..." grunting, I turn around and see probably one of the last people I want to see today.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing boy?" Flynn growled, his piggy eyes gleaming like two burning lights.

"Da?!" Rojin gasped and backed away rapidly. "I-I thought you were off in the snows?" Rojin stammered, his face pale.

"I was" Flynn stepped forward, his teeth bared like a snarling dog. "Back in time to hear your bitchin'. And this fucking traitor talk about leaving. You are sounding a lot like your cunt mother-".

"Oi!" I snap. "Don't talk crap like that in front of him!".

"Fuck off!" Flynn's nose went red and he snorted like a bull. "You're the freak that put the ideas in his soft head".

"If you think his head is soft then that makes yours a puddle of piss!" I stride over to Flynn and glower down at him. "Or I could make it just that if you want!" purple glowed on my arm and a scaled, hooked and clawed hand prodded his fat wobbly chin.

Flynn's face paled for a moment, and the tats on his ears spun and rolled in random patterns. Seconds rolled by, and the eerie and all too threatening silence seemed to squash me. Something must've clicked in Flynn's dull mind because suddenly his eyes glinted and he swatted my dangerous hand away.  
"You can't hurt me!".

"Wanna bet on that?!" I drag my talons across the house to the right and draw deep grooves into the side.

"Yeah I might" Flynn hissed and spat at my feet. "See you are here to 'protect us'. Attacking and beating us up isn't in that job description".

Dammit...Flynn is right. He maybe an unmanly asshole and scum, but I can't attack a villager when I should be protecting them. Makarov has told (or rather yelled at) me of my reputation I'm getting of molesting my employers if they irritate me.

"But the boy" Flynn nodded to Rojin who was cowering by the trees. "Na, he is staying here with his dad".

"His dad huh?" I lean down and thrust my face into his. My real da is dead! Rojin's words spoke to me again.  
"Apparently his real dad is dead?" I whisper.

Flynn's confident face went plum purple in his rage. "What filthy shit have you told him, boy?!" Flynn raised a fist threateningly. "You spreading them lies! I will beat you bloody and blacken that other eye for you!".

"You won't touch him!" I snarl. "He is under my protection, and the protection of Fairy Tail! Try hurting him now!". Flynn seem to falter at that and he stepped forwards until he was as much in my face as he could get.

"You can't take him! I'm his father!" Flynn bellowed and villagers were stopping outside the alley to watch the commotion.

"Boys and girls younger than him have come to Fairy tail" I whisper. "It is his choice".

"You have no right-"

"He does!" I yell in his face, pointing at Rojin. I hear muttering in front of me and I look angrily at the crowd. "Don't you just mutter! How can you people stand around and let this happen to him?!".

"Everybody gets roughhoused at that age..." a quiet and small man spoke up.

"Like this?!", Rojin cowered slightly before the crowd and then seemed to find some courage. He straightened his head and showed the crowd his black eye. The villagers shuffled, their faces down in shame. Flynn is practically foaming in the mouth, his face a disturbing shade of puce, and I was the center of noise.

"Look, Rojin, has already agreed to come with me and Evergreen to Fairy tail. He isn't yours now!" I turn and look at Rojin who was staring at me with moon eyes. I don't know what I was expecting. Him to back out and say that he is staying because of all the attention. What I didn't expect was a ghastly ear piercing scream to break the silent tension.

"FUCKING HELL, FUCK, FUCK, FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!!" a voice deformed by pain screamed a couple of houses away. "DAT FUCKING CUNT!!! DAT LITTLE FUCKING WHORE!!!". The villager's face burbled their worries. Some running away from the voice in fear of the Draugr, others running towards it in curiosity.

Oh shit... I go pale when I recognize that voice through the pain. No, no, no ,Ever! 

"Shit!" I curse and run through the thick snow.

"Wait up!" Rojin's high pitched voice squeaked and he raced after me.

"Come on we gotta haul ass, kid!" I grab Rojin by the scruff of his parka and run to the back of the house and towards the screaming. I nearly slipped on the snow because of how fast I was moving, no doubt, Rojin, is being knocked around. I slide around the corner and shove past people. I expected the worst. The Draugr eating her or ,Ever, being hurt or attacked. All the worst things happening to her. But the first thing I see is the blood standing stark on the snow, and an obvious body print next to a tree. And then Logan screaming into his hands as he lurches around in the white waste.

"AGH. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" his voice was thick and muffled and had a clogged sound to it.

"What's happened to Mr. Logan?!!" Rojin gasped as he dangled from my grip. His outcry was one of many as other villagers like the smith walked closer and exclaimed their own concern and distress.

"Was it the bone men?!" the metal worker growled and looked around the snow. "Look! There is a set of prints!".

I look to the snow and true enough a pure print of small feet walked away from Logan's blood and body print. But they were no skeleton's feet. These prints were of a person wearing snow boots...  
Ever what has happened?!

"This isn't Draugr" I say and walk forward with a nasty feeling in my gut. "Logan?". Logan did nothing but groaned into his hands. "Logan?!" I shake his shoulders and he staggers forward. "What the fuck has happened?!".

Logan did nothing but groan for what felt like hours but I tuned it out. Where is Ever?! She has clearly left and by the look of her foot prints, she was calm enough and in no pain. But what happened here? Why didn't she come to me?

She said she is going to talk to Gnash. But still, she should've come to me to explain things!!  
The more I thought the more the anger in me built up from smoking to burning intensely.

"LOGAN!" I yell and shake him roughly.

To hell with not harming him! I glare at the mental image of Makarov.  
"What happened".

Another long moment passed and finally and thick shaky voice emerged between his hands.  
"What happened? Your green blitch is what happened...".

I grit my teeth knowing that whatever happened was oh most definitely Logan's fault.

"Fuck that!" I rasp and dig my fingers into his shoulders. "What did you do?!" I whisper so the other villagers couldn't hear.

"What did I do?!" Logan opened his dark eyes and they glinted with hatred. "No. Look what dat blitch did!". He removed his hands from his face and blood spurted and dripped every where, like a horrible firework display.

"Shit!" I gasp and drop Logan's shoulders. His face was a complete mess! His nose was no more than a crater and part of his top lip was smashed into gristly lumps ruining his once handsome face.

"Sshit. Yeah, dis is sshit alright" speaking through his marred lip his voice sounded sloppy and had a strong lisp. 

"What happened?!" Flynn roared and marched up to Logan.

"Dat green Fairy Tail cunt-"

"Don't call her that!" I roar at his face my hands balled to fists.

"-Dat bitch did dis 'cause I asked if I could trust you!" Logan snarled and moaned into his hands once more.

I physically felt my face pale and I swallowed tightly. She did this because Logan doubted me? I look at the blood in the snow as the body print by the tree. That's not like her at all! I walk to the tree and on one knee pressed my fingers into the indent. No. Ever isn't like me, she is rational. She wouldn't permanently deform a person's face for simply doubting her partner. I grit my teeth and turn to Logan.  
"Your lying".

"Lying?! You dink I'm lying 'bout dis?!" Logan gestured to his ruin of a face.

"No, she definitely did that" I look down at Rojin who trundled up to my side and looked at the snow print.  
"But I know ,Ever. And she wouldn't do that to someone unless they deserve it. And I'm sure you doubting me isn't enough to deserve it. No" I shake my head and glared at Logan. "No you did something else". I looked for the guilt in his eyes and I just saw a flicker of that poison in his eyes.  
"What did you do?!" I growl and walk away from Rojin.

"I did nothin'" Logan insisted and lurched against a house's wall. Villagers walked nervously up to him and gave him rags to press to his face.  
"In fact you an' your blitch are da ones doin' nothin' too!".

"What?!" I step closer. "Me and Ever are trying everything to help-".

"Like butcherin' my face" Logan howled through the cloths and tears of pain streamed down his face.

"That's not the only thing!" Flynn stepped forward.

Oh shit...I look around and already the villagers were riling up with Logan and Flynn. Something close to my heart stirred as my unease grew and grew. I felt it knocking against my chest ready to leap out and into the world.

"This freak here is taking my boy!" Flynn crowed like Ugly.

"I'm going because I want too!" Rojin howled in protest. "Your a mean ugly bastard dat hits me and my Ma when she was here!".

"You piece of lying shit!" Flynn raced towards the boy and I stepped between them.

"Back the fuck off now!" I roar and let my beast change come upon me. I felt my nails itch almost painfully as my claws grew out and my scalp felt as if thousands of tiny bugs were running across it as my hair grew out too. 

"See what he did!" Rojin stepped out from behind me and showed Logan his black eye. "He did this!".

"I didn't do that!" Flynn objected his face red again. "It was this fuckin' monster here!" that fat slob gestured rudely to me. 

"What?!" Rojin and me said at the same time. The village muttered to themselves and glared at me angrily. Logan fixed me with a nasty glare and another evil light sparked in his eyes as he thought of something. Blood pooled through the cloths ominously and I felt even greater unease than before. There was still no animals, and the villagers were growing more and more agitated with mine and Ever's presence. 

"He didn't touch me!" Rojin protested.

"Well I didn't touch him" Flynn turned back to Logan and the crowd. "If that green girl from Fairy Tail did that to you; what's stopping him from beating my son?!".

"It wasn't him!" Rojin rushed forward and waved his arms to get attention. "And you just said before you will beat me up because I told him!"

"No I said I'ma gonna beat you 'cause of all them lies you spreading about me and your Mother!" father growled at his son.

"STOP LYING!" the boy screamed and ran back towards me. "I'm going with him!".

"Boy..." Flynn glared down hatefully. "You're gonna regret this soon".

"He will regret nothing" I challenge. "So leave him alone" I grasp Rojin's wrist and turn to the bloody demented man in front of me. "Now where is, Ever?".

"Da cow said she was goin' to 'Nash's. Where da fuck else?" Logan rumbled.

"Logan, you need to speak to your brother about this" the black smith approached and lay a huge hand on his shoulder. "They can't get away with this".

"Look I'm sure, Ever, did what she did for a good reason" I walk away from Rojin and appeal to the crowd. "She part of the Raijinshuu for gods sake!". The crowd murmured uneasily and my heart leaped as I had them on the fence. "You have all heard of the Raijinshuu? They are one of the most famous wizard groups in Fiore! She has been through many a tough situation, and I can personally assure you she will not do this unless she was attacked or put in a situation where she needed to do this.

"That must be some situation to do this" the black smith ran his hand through his salt and pepper hair. 

"That doesn't explain you hittin' my lad" Flynn sneered and I groan. 

"I. Never. Hit. Him!" with each word I set closer and closer to Flynn. "That was you" I snarl my fangs at the man and glare at him with my red eyes.

"I was the one hit! I would know!" Rojin stepped forward bravely up and before his supposed father.  
"And this guy isn't even my Da-".

"BOY SHUT THE FUCK UP-" Flynn roared.

"My real Da is Sebastian" Rojin appealed to the crowed. Gasps filled the air woman looked between each other with shock in their eyes. "You all remember the baker?" the boy took another step from my side excitedly. "He baked the fresh breads, and he always gave me Ma the cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven. He gave me poppy seed rolls for free too".

"Rojin?" I whisper and look at Flynn whose face was going dark purple.

"Sebastian always looked at 'Bell differently" one lady whispered.

"Little Rojin even has Sebastian's, eyes!" another exclaimed.

"Yes!" Rojin shouted excitedly. "I remember Ma telling me when I was little who he really is! She told me that Da was the kind man who lives across the road in the bakery. The one with the blue eyes that gives me poppy buns for free-".

"Isabelle is my fucking wife!" Flynn roared unable to take this anymore. "She died tragically making me a widower, and on her grave I promise you that Rojin. Is. My. SON!" Flynn screamed the last word so loudly that snow slid off the roof.

"Flynn..." I growl and step forward. "Don't. How did they die? The baker and Rojin's mother".  
If I can solve this matter, then I can win this village over again and sort out what happened with Ever and Logan....

"We don't know 'bout how da two died" Logan mumbled and bound his face with strips of rags.

"Yes we found Sebastian's body by a lake with a fishing rod. Drowned he did" The smith frowned. "But Izzy's body...".

"No one found my wife's body" Flynn looked to the ground. Something glinted in his eyes and rage boiled in me. He's lying!.

"That's wrong" Rojin whispered. I turned and looked at him expectantly and Flynn suddenly froze in place. "My Ma died in an avalanche...".

The crowds around me gasped and even Logan looked surprised and eyed Flynn. Flynn's face went from dark red, to purple and finally to pale white.

"Flynn, you are the avalanche man. You would've known if an avalanche was to happen-" The smith growled.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Flynn screamed and moved so suddenly that even I couldn't catch him. He lunged over and grabbed Rojin by his scruff and threw him against the trees so violently that snow fell off the branches. As soon as Rojin's body passed over, the runes protecting the village glowed blue.

"Wait! STOP!" I yell. I wasn't afraid of what Flynn would do, I could stop him. I was afraid of what is out there. The trees rustled around us and my face paled as flaming green eyes began to peer down at Rojin.  
"No, NO!" I yell and run after Flynn and Rojin. Flynn lumbered over to Rojin, and the gasps and outcries of the crowd were lost in my panic. As soon as he crossed the border it was over in seconds. Harsh rattling shrieks like nails on a black board pierced through the air, and the trees rocked and rattled in a flurry of movement like they were existing in a storm. Four black bodies slammed to the snow. Rojin barely had time to scream, they were on him in seconds. 

"Elfman!-" Rojin screamed. But then huge black hands grabbed him by his face and hauled him up to the face of a huge Draugr.

"ARGGHHHH" it screamed at him and began to run away with Rojin bouncing in its terrifying grip.

"AHH" Flynn howled as the remaining three ripped into him then and there. Blood gushed everywhere as one bit its teeth deep into his gray fleshy arms. Another plunged its hand deep into his leg and ripped out chunks of flesh to drop down it's gullets. Blood washed over the dark bones covered in a thin black veil of skin. I could almost see chunks of meat slowly making its way down it's body. I scramble forwards as fast as I could but if I could say anything about the Draugr. They hunt like a pack of Lions. They make the kill quick and efficient and if the prey is small enough they take their kill to their patch. As soon as I crossed the border, the things must've been to happy with their fat prey to bother with me. The largest one plunged its hand deep into Flynn's belly and ran off into the woods with Flynn's dying body bouncing against the large roots, and impaling him against the sharp branches. They moved so fast that I couldn't see Rojin's floppy red hair in the gloom.

"ROJIN!!!" I scream and run into the woods. "ROJINNNNNNN" I yell. I run after them. I won't give Rojin up, I promised to take him to Fairy Tail.  
I won't let you die!!!! I thunder through the forest. And for once Evergreen wasn't on my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes this chapter is very late. ONE THOUSAND PARDONS!!!! But yes this chapter is kinda dark and rated mature for the very bad language.(Sorry if it offended). But look forward to the next chapter because things are gonna get intense ;) 
> 
> Love San-of-the-forest.


	12. Evergreen

I was kicking up a snow storm in my wake as I skidded down the rough pebble path back to the village. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I shouldn't have gone, I should've asked Gnash to come to the village or, or- I slipped over on the gravel and slammed my hip badly into a tree stump to the side. My head snapped forward on impact and my teeth brutally reopened my broken lip. Metallic tasting blood filled my mouth and I spat a mouthful into the snow. 

"Shit!" I hiss and scramble to my feet. Every second I spend wasting time is another second where Elfman will be the only one there to stop four unkillable dead things from massacring the village. My dark coat flapped behind me like a bird's awkward feathers and large runes glowed blue as I crossed the village border. Screaming assaulted my ears the second I passed the barrier and I gasped at the sound.   
"No, no, no!" I whisper as many villagers ran screaming from an alley way. Men bellowed at each other and ran to the smithies workshop where they loaded up on magical spears and machetes. They set up a perimeter around the village, especially the alley mouth where everyone ran from. People thundered past me and set up defenses of two meter long sharpened pikes lined up for impaling anything that runs at them.

"Hey. Hey!" I shout at a man running by. He ignored me and ran past to help setting up defenses. "HEY!" I shout louder and grab his arm. He span on his heels and slammed his spear in the snow a foot away from my feet. Looking at him, the boy can't be more than sixteen, with dark brown eyes glossy with fear. I ripped out the spear and watched runes glow blue and threw the damn thing back at his feet. "What is happening?!" I shout.

"What's happening? They are attacking again!" the villager shouted and turned around. I turn around and look frantically for Elfman. He was nowhere in site and I couldn't even hear his voice.

Shit! I curse mentally and turned to the man again.  
"Who was attacked? How many are there? Was there more than four?" I interrogated, my eyes wide and always scanning the tree line for danger and for Elfman. An after image of looking into Gnash's skull flicked through like pages of a book and I remember seeing four pairs of glowing green fires hovering in the trees.

"That boy Rojin was attacked and his old man". Your friend ran after them" the boy said and with shaky hands he picked up his spear.

"No!" I growl and turn to the woods. That idiot did that by himself?! True Rojin is in serious danger but himself against four and most definitely more?! Even now Rojin may be dead or worse....  
The thought came unwanted and ugly, I shiver in shock of it but I could feel the truth of it. Besides, look at what one did to Elfman's leg. That was only one and Elfman is huge and very powerful. Rojin is a small six year old boy who will be terrified. But four against Elfman? Desperateness and madness drove him into that forest to get Rojin.

"There are four of them, b-but there could be more" the boy hurriedly turned around and made for the perimeter. "They went that way" he pointed to the forest near the alley. "You two better be as good as you say you are!" with that he ran off and joined his kin surrounding the village.

Better be and can be are two different things, kid, I think and run to the face of the alley. A fat woman nearly ran me down into the snow in her haste to get to safety, and I really wished she did actually. Skidding around her the snow desperately slid under my feet and I nearly slammed into a man with a face covered in rags. Dark eyes met mine, and blood seeped through the dirty cloths covering the mess of his face. I've never seen such hate in anyone's eyes. I think everything went quiet for a fraction of a second, but it is hard to tell in my shock. His breath whistled through the cloths and the hairs on my neck stood on end. It was like my lip was broken and split all over again. My lip throbbed and I looked at the trees behind him.

Yes, that's why. That's why you did that. I think of Elfman and how he is actually trying his very best. My lip throbbed nastily and I step around the man and sprint through the snow again. I can still feel his eyes burning through my skull. Well I guess Elfman was right after all. Stepping through and into the forest, not a sound was whispered through the wood. Not even Elfman's footsteps that I was trying so desperately to hear. There are lots of tree roots that seemed to like me feet to fall beneath me. Hard roots trapped my feet and it took more concentration then I am willing to give to stop myself from tripping over. I can't light ahead, but it seems the deeper I ran into the wood, the more the darkness around me began to close in. My sore hip twinges and I stagger forward into a huge rough pine. I claw the bark and pant desperately in the cloying air.

"Elfman?!" I groan out but only silence answered.  
"ELFMAN!!!" Even when I tried to yell my voice was soon lost to the forests confines.  
Breathe, take a breath and become calm. I heard Freed whisper his advice calmly in my ear. He always knew how to calm me down, how to reassure me of how capable I can be.   
"Take a breath" I tell myself and stretch my lungs. I exhaled loudly and looked around sharply.  
I shouldn't stay in one place too long. I do not want to be cornered against a tree if there really is more than one Draugr out there. I move forward and the silent forest became darker and darker. I take a deep breath through my nose when I smell something.   
It smells metallic. Blood! My head snaps hurriedly around and I think if Rojin. I breath deeply and the smell of blood is thick and wet in my nose. I can't be too far from the source. 

Please don't be Rojin, please! I crept into the darkness and the air grew thicker and thicker and a smell became disgustingly sweet and layered itself on my tongue. I take another step forward cautiously into the roots of a tree. And then something squelched beneath my foot. My neck prickled and hair stood on end while I slowly looked down.  
Shnnnung, the ground made that disgusting noise as I removed my foot and peered at the dark and tangled roots and earth. I couldn't see a thing and nervously I lowered my hand and filled my palm with green fairy magic. Blood coated the tree roots and rocky soil on the ground, bits of fatty flesh was strewn everywhere. And finally my eyes rested on a large severed hand in the dirt.

"NO!" I gasp and reached for the cold dead limb. It is far too big to be Rojin's, but that doesn't mean it can't be...  
I scoop the cold thing up and in my panic I ignored the thick clotted blood splattering against my hand. The skin was soft and saggy, tinged green by my light but the more I looked the more I saw it true. The fingers are too short and fat to be Elfman's, and the skin colour, though green at the moment isn't dark enough to match Elfman's skin colour.   
"Flynn..."I muttered and put the hand back into the ground. That man was an asshole and an awful person but he didn't deserve to die like that. "Perhaps you have done one good thing for your son. You showed me the way to him".

I step around and onto tree roots to avoid the blood and gore slurry beneath me and followed directly in front of it. I haven't forgotten my haste and purpose so I struggle to race along the roots beneath me. My fairy light guides me but the darkness is still stifling and I had to rely on my reflexes to make sure I don't rip over. How big is this forest? And even if I'm far away I should be able to hear sign of violence and movement! I rush forward quicker and strain my ears for anything at all, but no noise seemed to exist at the moment. No, I couldn't hear a single damn thing. I stagger blindly on a root and slam painfully on a tree. Sharp branches and coarse bark shredded through my coat and bloodied my arm as it scraped my skin raw.  
"Dammit!" I hiss and push myself off the tree. The tree branches rattled above in the wind and I bunched my fist against my bleeding shoulder in pain. I'm not getting anywhere fast! No matter how fast I ran it doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere. I couldn't even hear Elfman or Rojin despite just passing Flynn's corpse-nothing was adding up! The trees rattled violently in the wind an I stagger forward towards a large tree. Why is everything so silent? Has the Draugr and Elfman moved out of the forest? No...The boy said he ran into this forest. But I wasn't too far away! I should've definitely heard them by now. 

Sweat mingled with the blood on my shoulder and my broken lip until they stung. The trees swung violently in the breeze and I stretched my hand up to catch a piece of the draft. Nothing touched my hand. It was too hot for the forest to be this fetid and have a winter breeze moving through the trees. I don't even remember feeling my head snap up, I just remember seeing two pairs bright green molten eyes staring into mine from above. My lungs jolted painfully for breath and the trees crashed violently against each other, then they were upon me.

"Ah!" crying out I jump back and stumble painfully against the roots of a sentinel pine while the things leaped from their perch and onto the jumble of roots below.

waarrhhhhhhhhhh, one Draugr screeched like nails on a chalkboard and gnashed his black dripping maw. It's flickering black mantle rolled around it in an unknown breeze and cold clotting blood stained it's black skeleton maw. The trees hugged me close as I tried to back away from fear but they only succeeded in trapping me in an open box against these things. A cold chill crept into my bones the more the skeletons stared at me. Fear was packing in deep and I remember Elfman's words of how these things strike fear deep into even the most brave of people. They charged forward with globes of bright green glinting with blood lust, and I panicked.

"DON'T!" I screamed and the light in my hand blazed so bright I couldn't look at it. My fairy magic flew like a grenade and landed solidly in front of the on rushing monsters. The force was too great and I was too close. A greasy wave of hot blood coarse down my already bloody shoulder, great pines shattered under my body as I was thrown back against them. I cried out in pain and collapsed against the destroyed roots, I didn't hear my destruction through my ringing ears and singing pain.   
"Ahhh...." I moaned spitting out blood and looked at my carnage through cracked glasses. Trees were shattered and obliterated in a seven meter wide crater and the skeletons were turned into fragments of bone that withered and shook in the black soil. I stood up shakily and nearly fell again, my left arm shook and blood dripped off the end if my sleeve.

"Shit!" I cursed and looked up at the great opening in the forest's roof. There was finally more than enough light. Glassy wings flicked up on my back and I took to the sky, but as I looked back the bones of the dead were already pushing themselves back together. The cold air graced my broken lip and bloody shoulder, my shoulder is turning numb and my coat sleeve is crusty with clotted blood that ran down the dark material. It's a shame, I like this coat. Up in the air everything is clear loud and obvious, the dark rocks against the pristine snow, the blue sky against the harsh   
ridges of the mountains. And the disgusting remains of Flynn's corpse stark red against the snow. I am use to gristly remains of corpses but I wasn't looking for Flynn. The crashes and cries of a fight rang loud an clear to my left. My shoulder throbbed dully in pain as I span and searched desperately for Elfman. Cries of pain and battle shouted vaguely over the forest and I twisted towards the noise. I can see Elfman and his dark cloak fighting the two other Draugr on the edge of a cliff, poor Rojin was hiding behind a rock and even from this distance I can see that he is trembling with fear. I look at Flynn's corpse and look at Rojin again. There is not enough time to go to him and take him somewhere safe. I swoop down to the cliff and narrowly dodge the huge sentinel pines that hugged the edge.

"ELFMAN!". His face flashes up and he dives to the side as a Draugr lunged for his open face. Even from this distance I can see blood spilling down his shirt and a gaping would around his collarbone.

Shit...I landed in the snow painfully and my arm and hip shuddered under the landing. The damn skeletons are relentless. They slunk forward like a whisper and as fast as a snake, their sharp fingers and jaws lunging out at any hot flesh they could get. Elfman swerved and leaned away, his body rippling purple and shinning intensely. Then claws of his own were lunging at the skeletons. Thick white hair coated his body with dark ripped and studded jeans covering his lower section and of course his face is now long and sharp in a wolf's image. He moved as fast as the Draugr and each time he struck one of them, their bones crumbled and cracked but they almost immediately righted themselves.

"DUCK!" I screamed and didn't even wait for him to do so. I swiped my arm viciously to the left and a bright ribbon of green sliced through the air. Elfman dropped to the snow and crouched with his sharp ears pinned back and his thick tail swiping left and right. My bright green blade span and whistled through the air and sliced through the wights spine like a hot knife through butter. Their bodies collapsed-their upper torso blown apart and nearly slipping off the side of the cliff. I sprint forward past the withering legs and kicked the two half bodies off. Their black mantles rolled around them trailing behind them like a dark comet and they plunged into the dark sea hundreds of meters below. I grab a greasy thigh bone of each of the pair and threw it off the side with their other halves. My shoulder throbbed with the effort and I shakily look at the snow at my feet panting.

"Ever" Elfman's voice growled at me from behind, his voice was rough and brutish like an animals. I turn and his even bigger form walked over to me on great clawed wolfs paws. He would've been scary if I didn't know it was him. His chest wound is deep and blood was soaking his thick white fur, his body shimmered when he was within a meter of me and he returned to normal- but shirtless. It is an odd relief to see his face again.  
"Did you see the other two?".

"Yeah-yeah of course I did. I blew them up in the forest but I don't know when they will be back" I look at the rock and jog through the snow towards it. Elfman followed me because he no doubt knows that Rojin is there. I was at the rock in a couple of meters, and then I was with Rojin. 

"Rojin? Rojin" I place my hand on his shoulder. His pale bruised face is staring in front of him at his father's dismembered corpse, all bloody and ripped apart. I look back and notice the steaming pile of vomit next to the rock and the dregs on the hem of shirt.

"Rojin look at me" I touch the top of his fiery red hair and turn his head to me. "You've been really brave. Incredibly brave" his eyes were wide and glossy, his body was shivering like a leaf in the breeze. I lift him up under his arms and place him on my lap, away from the site of Flynn entirely.  
"How about we go to the village huh?" I try to smile but Flynn's cloudy grey eyes seemed to be staring into mine as it lay twisted, bloody and ripped off in the snow. "I know Elfman can make a pretty nice hot chocolate".

"I-I c-c-c-can't e-eat..." Rojin stammered and looked at his tightly clenched hands. "T-t-t-the ate him. A-a-a-and my sister!" he started shaking and rocking violently. 

"Okay. Okay" I wrap my arms underneath him, wincing as I pick him up and my shoulder oozed more blood. "It's...We will take you home". Me and Elfman shuffle around the rock.  
"How did you get through the forest?" I whisper.

"Through-" Elfman pointed at the forest and then froze. His arm moved very slowly up and he gently pressed it against my shoulder. Chills ran up my spine and sent shivers through my arms, I didn't even look to know what was there.

"Both of them?" my voice is scarcely a whisper and I gently ease myself down. I have to move slow. If I move fast they will no doubt attack me first, Elfman can deal- I look at the wound on his chest and bite my lip which lanced in pain. He can deal with them for a short amount of time. I ease myself against the rock and let Rojin slide out of my arms and against the rock.  
"Stay here" I whisper. Taking off my ruined coat I wince because the wool of my coat congealed with my bloody wound and ripped the clotting blood open again as I took it off. Elfman slowly backed away from the both of us and stood there with his arms wide and his back to the cliff. A warning grumble droned from behind the rock and into the forest, I hurriedly rubbed snow into the coat until it is soaking, then I wrapped it around Rojin. His already shaking body shivered more.   
"Keep this on just for a little while. We will get you back home and warm soon" I turn and look at Elfman. His body was hunched and his legs ready to spring. It was his arm that ruined him though. As soon as he lifted it, blood came swooping down the wound over his collarbone and pectorals and he slumped forward in the sudden pain. Something screeched and two dark figures rushed past my rock in the blink of an eye and lunged at Elfman. My wings flicked up in seconds and before I knew it I had crushed myself against Elfman and tackled him down against the snow less than a foot away from the edge of the huge cliff drop. We scramble around in the snow and he sits up right in front of me.

Arrggghhhh a wight screamed and pounced at us with a dripping maw. Purple glowed in front of me and a great plate covered and clawed hand caught the creature by the rib cage and began crushing away it's bone. The things claws lashed out at Elfman's face and blood sprayed into the air, he grunted in pain but pushed the thing as far away as he could. I wrapped an arm around Elfman's chest and felt his warm blood splash against my arm as I hauled him up against me and further away from the wight's claws. My spare and damaged arm flashed up and blasted a full bolt of green fairy light right into the thing's face obliterating it's skull on the spot and leaving the rest withering in the snow. Elfman's right leg suddenly swept to the right and he knocked the second Draugr to the snow as it tried to attack us unawares. His leg then glowed purple and he caved the skeletons skull in with savage kick to the head with a now solid iron boot. Crunch the skull was hacked off with the same foot and kicked mercilessly off the edge of the cliff. The second corpse began to wither and it's skull began to click back into place like magnets. I lash my arm around in a circle above my head and a bright spectral whip lashes out and grabs the remains by the ankle. I flung the corpse over the cliff and then did the same with the other juddering remains. And then they were gone. For now anyway. Elfman glowed purple and was back to normal again.

"Ever-" Elfman growled angrily and sat up away from me.

"Elfman what the fuck happened to you" I interrupt. He turned to me and I jab above the deep wound on his chest.

"OUCH!" Elfman smacked my hand away. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"What. Happened. To. You!" I jab his chest with each word.

"Well if you couldn't see we just fought FOUR DRAUGR!" he yelled his face going slightly red with anger. "I got cut by their claws and clearly so did you!" He taps my bloody shoulder and I screech in pain. 

"THAT FUCKING HURT!" I scream at him.

"SO DID THIS!" Elfman yelled back and pointed at his chest.

"THIS ISN'T DRAUGR IT WAS A TREE!" I scream back and began to shake as the icy winds cut through my woolen long sleeve.

"A tree..." Elfman pursed his lips as if in thought.

That bastard's hiding a smile I glare at him and cross my arms to try and cut out the cold. 

"Oh shut up!" I scowl and begin to get up and go to Rojin when Elfman suddenly grabbed my good shoulder and pushed me back down. I glared and tried to struggle back up from the snow. Gods how embarrassing it is to say I was this badly hurt by a tree. I snarl and press my hand against the wound "Look Elfman just let it go-".

"Ever, who hit you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Am. So. So. So. Late. And I am so sorry. It took me a very long time to write this to get it right, and no doubt when I have finished I might go back and make some tweaks here and there. Nothing that affects the plot though. Well I hope you enjoyed this, yeah its a little bit gruesome but that is just me in this story. I hope you enjoyed it and leave a like or review if you did.
> 
> Lots of love,
> 
> San-of-the-forest.


	13. Elfman

She froze for a second and then started struggling to her feet again. A memory flashed behind my eyes of blood on the snow and Logan screaming against his hands in pain. Anger flared in me because of her silence and because of the undeniable truth.  
"Ever, what did Logan do?!" I stand up with her and grab her good shoulder.

"He didn't do anything!" Her jaw is clenched and her fists bunched. "This was a Draugr!"

I look more closely at her mouth, the dark bruising around her lips. The gashes and bloody splits in her swollen lips. The blood on her teeth and pain in her eyes. She is lying.

"Draugr's don't punch, Ever" I try to say softly but my rage sharpened my words. "They bite!" I pointed to my left calf muscle. "They rip and cut!" I point to the burning wound on my chest. "But they don't punch".  
She stared at me through her cracked lenses and then shoved her way past me to Rojin. I growl angrily and watch her go with her back straight and rigged with anger. It's almost like I can see Logan's arm snaking around her waist again. I clench my fists until my knuckles were white and distracted myself by Flynn's corpse. I pick up my dark coat on the way to it and pull out and large handkerchief from a pocket and press it against my wound with a hiss of pain. I don't know why I am so angry with her. Maybe it's because she flirted and swooned over Logan only to get a bloody mouth in the end, even if it isn't her fault. Maybe it's because she got hurt and I wasn't there to stop it...  
Gods women are so...frustrating! I think and squat next to the bloody and dismembered corpse. His hips and legs were a few feet away from the upper section of the body. And in between is a bloody gory mess that is too horrible to smell. I hold my breath and look at the upper half. He is missing a hand I noticed and not much of his flesh is eaten. That is my part really. As I fought the first Draugr and managed to get Rojin away from it, I attracted the attention of the second one and it abandoned its prey for some sport with me. I got this wound because of that. The other two clearly stayed in the forest to pick off other humans. I continued to ponder when I saw something dark, oily but also smoky drift around the corpse.  
What? I peer closer and the glistening shadows wrapped around both parts of the corpse and formed a glistening shall. It hugged the body tighter and tighter and the vague outline of bones began to show.  
"Oh shit..." A sickening crunch filled the air and the body began to stretch longer. Dead grey eyes began to flicker green and the whites began to melt away like hot wax.  
"Fuck!" I stand up and grab the oily shawl that suctioned onto the corpse even as I pulled it away. The fat around the belly began to thin and green in the whites of the eyes glared brighter and flickered like flames.  
"EVER!" I scream and her head snaps to me from next to the boy. "Turn him around!" I shout and grip under Flynn's arms. The lower separated end clicked back into place and the head somehow relocate itself back to the neck. Then his hair began to fall off. Ever, turned Rojin away and wrapped her arms around his chest to stop him from looking. I begin to haul the corpse to the edge of the cliff, the remains left and oil streak in its wake. I felt the flesh under the shawl begin to flake off in big chunks under my fingers and flop off in black chunks into the snow. Bile rose in my throat and I had to grit my teeth not to throw up. As soon as I reached the edge I flung the corpse off the cliff and into the ocean. Before it even hit the choppy stormy water I was scrubbing my hands with snow to get the oily blackness off. Footsteps sounded above me and Ever looked over the edge with Rojin staring at his feet behind her.

"Was he...did he?" She looked over and at the black oil against the snow.

"He turned" I reply and stood up. Ever, has given Rojin her second layer of clothes and left her in a thin white t-shirt. I grunted at the site if her lip and felt my anger replace my disgust and fear at the thing I threw over sea. Being angry with her will get me nowhere. I took my coat from around my shoulders and draped it over her's.

"Elfman you will freeze!" Evergreen growled and pointed to my bare chest. My long sleeve shirt was destroyed in my take over.

"I'm bigger than you" I go to button up the coat but she smacks my hand away. "It would take more for me to freeze than you". She looked as if to protest more but I held up a hand. "The village isn't that far away. I will be warmer soon" I tried to stop shivering. Ever stares at me for a second and then begins to button up the huge coat herself. As she finished she scoops up Rojin with her good arm and limps off into the direction of the woods. I walk after them and begin to feel weak as blood dripped through my handkerchief and splashed down my chest.I need to get this stitched up...To distract myself I look at Rojin. The boy is still far too pale and he shook like mirage in Ever's arm. Sympathy and remorse twinged in me and I put and hand on the boy's head.

"I'm sorry, Rojin".

Rojin bunched tighter into a ball and peaked out at me with his bruised eye. "He's gone. But he's a ghost now ay'?"

I nod, there is no point sweetening the truth for him. He saw Flynn change as much as I did in the end.

* * *

We entered the village and were pulled up by the Smith and a group of men leveling glowing spears at us as we approached the magic rune line.

"It's just us" I say calmly and walk up with my hands raised. My arms began to shake and my breaths are labored. My chest throbs with every heart beat and the wound above my chest looked like a bloody open maw.

"Flynn?" the smith raised a hairy brow and lowered his spear. I shake my head somberly and he sighs.  
"That's another one for them..." he looks at Rojin tucked under Ever's arm.  
"The lad?"

"He's physically fine" the smith nods at the word physically. I walk up to him and the other men lower their spears to let us pass the smith eyed my chest and pointed towards the big house where the village leader lives.

"Go there and get yourself patched up. Gnash will be here soon" the smith looked at Evergreen and eyed her. "Logan is in there too".

I look at her and she stiffens at the man's name and slowly puts Rojin on the ground.

"Sorry but my arm is beginning to hurt..." she trails off and holds Rojin's hand. She looked at her feet her eyes far away.

"Let me take the lad for a moment" the smith walked forward and crouched down next to him. "You want a bowl of me wife's stew?" he asked with an understanding smile. "You can even stay the night if you want?".

Rojin looks at me and Ever and we nod at him. "Okay..." he said tiredly his eyes clouded and his hands now clasped together. Rojin waddles off with the smith and me and Ever are left standing in the snow watching them go. The other men close back around us and keep their watch on the alley's entrance.

"He is taking it well. Seeing his father..." Ever said.

"No he's not" I sigh and slump against a house wall. I look at my hands and they are shaking just as badly as Rojin was. My head pounded with each throb of my heart beat while my wound stung like a bitch. I barely felt her arm wrap around my back and hoist me up slightly, my head lolled to the side and Ever's cracked glasses looked up at me.

"Come on" she said and she limped with me off into the direction of the big house. My eyes flicker for awhile, and one moment we were at the mouth of the alley, the next we were at the big house's front steps. I had blacked out.

"Sorry..." I mumble and Ever glanced at me, her face slick after probably dragging me to the house.

"Can you make it up the steps?".

I nod and place one foot on the step and go for the next one. It is laborious and painful, I felt as though the next step I take my chest wound will grow bigger and more blood will pour out. And then we are inside. A huge open fire in a stone hearth greets us at the back of the room with a long rectangle table in front of it. Carvings line the walls with mounted heads of snow leopards, deer and other beasts from this niche. Ever, drags me along and drops me on a low couch in front of a smaller fire place to the side of the room with cupboards and sheets along it. I look around and could see no sign of Logan and his brother at all, that's good. I didn't have the energy to punch Logan just yet. A cool hand places itself on my brow and I look wearily up and Ever.

"You dumb ass! You shouldn't have given me your coat!" She scowls and takes it off to drape over me.

"You would've frozen without it" I whisper tiredly. Sleep sounds good right now...My eyelids droop and the warmth of the room and fire seeps into me.

"Hey! Don't sleep!" Ever slaps my face and I glare up at her. She goes to a cupboard on the wall and pulls out a huge bone needle and a large ball of thin pale thread.

"Gnash...She is coming soon" I groan.

"You will bleed out by then" Ever also grabs a bottle of red wine from a shelf and poured a great deal of it in the kettle above the fire.

Shit....I think and watch the kettle. This is gonna sting. Ever grabs a sheet from an open cupboard and begins ripping up large pieces of it, she then crouches next to me and presses the cloth against my collar bone a pectoral, across the diagonal wound.

"Ugh!" I groan and my fingers bit deep into the fabric of the couch. Evergreen is a relentless woman and she kept a firm pressure over it despite my twitching.

"Keep still" she snapped but her other hand rested gently on my chest to keep me down. Her touch is almost tender. It sent shivers up my back and made my heart beat faster. Her hand is so small and pale against my flesh, her fingers small and thin, her palms surprisingly square. But they are soft and smooth and something warm began to bubble in me. I look up her arm and look at her face. Her hair is tied up in a high pony tail with bangs framing her face. Her big brown eyes framed by cracked glasses and long dark eyelashes. Her skin is as pale as her shirt and I felt a smile twitch at my lips.

You're very beautiful. It felt good to think that, I want to say it but I hold back my tongue. Ever blinks and turns to look at me. The fire light dances across her eyes making them look caramel or whisky and she blinks at me expectantly as if wanting me to say it. I look away and it is so warm in my stomach it is almost uncomfortable. I hear her sigh disappointingly. Was it because of my silence?

"How did this happen?" she asked with a soft voice and removes her hand. Cooler air touched the place her hand rested and I frown at its absence.

"I was fighting the first Draugr who at the time still had Rojin" I mutter and watch Evergreen check the wine that is steaming in the pot. "As I fought it I managed to get it to put Rojin down so it had to use both hands to get me. I fought it off but I got the second ones attention who was eating Flynn. That's how I got this, I didn't turn quick enough". My eyes rested on Ever's lips as I told her and I looked at the dark bruise blossoming over her lips and the cracking splits oozing blood. She saw where my gaze finished and rapidly turned away back to the kettle. I could just hear it boil over the pounding of my head and looked at the leopard's head across the room. Metal scarped on metal and I look over to see Ever approach me with a great ladle filled with boiling wine. 

"One moment" I groan and grabbed my handkerchief from my jeans pocket. I stuff the already bloody rag into my mouth and ignored the sour taste of old blood in my mouth. She crouched down without spilling a drop of the steaming wine and grabbed my hand to hold it down. The warmth of her hand lit my stomach up again and I sigh through the rag. I nod at her and she poured.

"ARRGGGHHH" My head snaps up and I scream into the rag as the boiling wine sizzles into my open wound. My feet slam against the arm rest but I did't feel a thing of that and my chest burned in agony as she poured without pause. It is like a burning hot metal is being poured over my chest. "Ugh..." moaning my head flops back against the soft cushion and I black out. I think I wake up only a couple of seconds later because through blurry eyes I see Ever taking away the big ladle back to the kettle. She dips it in for a second time...

"Don't...Even think about it!" I pant.

Ever looks at me surprised and turns back. "But if I don't it may bet infected-".

"You wanna go?!" I look at the kettle and her arm. She frowns at me and unhappily puts the ladle down.

"You broke the couch" she muttered and I look around. My free hand crushed the wooden braces inside the padding of the back of the couch and my feet had knocked off the arm rest opposite me.

"I..I didn't hurt you?" I look at her worriedly, holding up my hand that she was holding.

"No" she smiled and picked up her needle and thread. "I hope you don't make such a fuss over this".

"That?" I tap the scar under my eye. "I'm used to that". She mopped up the wine over my chest with a rag, and the wounds lips are now white and puckered from the burning hot wine. The needle slides through my flesh easily and almost painlessly.  
"You've done this before" I say.

"One word: Bickslow" Ever replies and works determinedly on my chest.

"Ha" I laugh, the pain is dull for a moment but my head feels like it is filled with wool. We stay silent for a few long minutes and then she sighs.

"Done!" she pulls up the string and leans down to bite the end off. Her hair brushes over my chest and a sharp shiver went up my back. Her hair felt like the softest silk in the world. As she sits up, my face follows her movements and it settle once again back on the dark bruise over her mouth. Anger, frustration, sadness, hurt flooded me and I couldn't take my eyes off of that mark. She sees my gaze again and turns her head angrily away, her teeth bared and her hands scrunched into fists.

"I'm sorry" I mumble. She does nothing and stares at the fire. Slowly I try to sit up and pain stabbed at my chest angrily. I ignore it and rest my weight against my right shoulder so I could look her in the eye.

"Elfman! Don't sit up!" She grabs my shoulder to push me back down and I place the hand that belongs to that arm on top of hers. Her eyes harden and her jaw locks but she stays there and stabs me with her eyes. Her hand is just as smooth in mine as it is on the rest of my body, but I can't help but feel as if my hands are like sandpaper against hers.

"Ever..."I pick up a wet rag and begin to mop up the blood on her shoulder. She glares at me but allows the treatment to continue and I look at her lip. "I'm sorry I yelled at you about this" I gesture to her lip. "It isn't your fault it happened I just...I just want to know what happened".

"What happened" a raspy voice came from in front of me. "Is that Logan said Evergreen is a sex toy".

My head snaps up and I stare at Gnash who looked back at me from the door way.

"Gnash!" Ever shouts standing up and away from me.

Sex toy?! I uneasily stand up and stagger against the cupboards. "Ever did he say that?!"

She glared at me, then Gnash and proceeded to put away her needles and threads.   
"Ever!".

"Look he did okay!" Evergreen shouted at me. "He called you a useless piece of shit practically! And when I defended you and said this village will die without our help, he hit me okay!" she shouted and kicked a table over. "Then he said the only reason the Raijinshuu kept me around was a for a play thing to use when they are BORED!" she shouted the last word so loudly I heard her voice break and tears gathered in her eyes.

"Ever..." I step forward and she turns and glares at the fire. I touch her hand and her back stiffens but she does nothing to move. "I've seen you cry before" I whisper so Gnash couldn't hear us. Evergreen tries to blink away the tears in her eyes but they only ran down her face and she glares at me. I wrap my hand around hers and she flosses her fingers through mine, that's how I know that glare is fake.  
"What Logan said is the biggest lie I've ever heard" I say and look at the fire.

"And I'm going to kill him for it". We look into the fire for a long time. My head throbs and burns and my chest dully aches but I ignore it dutifully and focus on the feel of this woman's hand in mine. It feels absolutely wonderful. I wonder if it feels the same for her. I look at her and while her tears disappear there is a slight smile on her face and I felt a blush crawl across my own.

"Thanks" she mumbled and smiled more. The bruise looks perhaps a little less dark now. Her shoulder bumps into mine and she rests against it peacefully. I don't tell her that I'm nearly falling over as we speak, and that my head is burning in agony and my chest is beginning to throb in pain once more. She is taking a moment to rest and share a bit of her softer side with me, and it is definitely worth it. I wonder what it would be like if we could do this all the time? Just looking out over a fire and talking. Holding hands, leaning on each other like now, just maybe even holding her in my arms. My heart thunders at these thoughts and makes my head and chest all the worse. How can anyone think she is nothing but a sex toy?! she is wonderful.

Footsteps padded over to us and broke me out of scary but good feeling thoughts and Ever pulled herself of my shoulder and removed her hand from mine. Oh...I think disappointed.

Gnash stood in front of us and inspected our wounds. Her terrifyingly long fingers running down and over Ever's bloody shoulder, and then again with her lip. She then inspected my stitches and even when she prodded them gently I growled in pain.

"...You two will come to my abode tomorrow" she rasped.

"Why?" me and Ever asked at the same time.

"You two are getting rune tattoos" Gnash nodded to herself.

"Wait what?!" I say. "We don't need tattoos!".

"You two bleed too easily" Gnash gestured to my wound. "Because you forgot to take a bone when the Draugr attacked you will need to track down a Draugr again". I groan and realize she is right. We have no bone, and no runes. So no way of finding out about The First One.

"If you get caught between more than four Draugr you will likely die" Gnash gnashed her teeth. "I've already mentioned tattoos to Evergreen". I look at Ever and she nodded back. "And if you get them I can increase your defenses until normal attacks have no affect. Your strength, immunity, speed, mentality. I can strengthen these with magic runes".

I look at Ever and sat back down on the couch. My head aches like a bitch and pain was beginning to spike through my chest. Talking of tattoos that are permanent are serious things, and I've seen the tattoos on people around the village. They aren't small.

"Ever what did you think?".

She rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat of any residing emotion. "At the time I was against it, but now we may need them". The look on her face says she would rather anything but to have them.

"Gnash, are you sure we need them?" I ask unconvinced.

"It took two Draugr to do that to you" Gnash pointed to my wounds. "And look, you would've died if Evergreen didn't patch you up. Or me" she added for emphasis.

"Look I'm not sure...I'm not sure-" My head spun and I felt blood seep out between the stitches on my chest. "Shit..." I flopped back, my head pounding like a drum. Words buzzed around me like flies and I felt my body being propped up and something thick being wrapped around me. Evergreen's slim arms are wrapped around my back and held me up as Gnash's huge long hands wrapped thick cotton swatches around my chest and over my wound-binding everything into place. Ever settled me back and lay me down across the couch with her big brown eyes looking over into mine. Gnash walked to the boiling wine and stirred into it some mysterious ingredients from the cupboards opposite the sheets. Something thick and cloying filled the room like cloves and rosemary and my eyes flicker back to Evergreen who is sitting above my head.

Wow she has a really nice figure I think and take in the large curve of her breast. My ears burn and I realize that she could turn and see me checking her out any second now but I couldn't look away.

She's hot I smile drowsily.  
"Logan said Evergreen in a sex toy" my smile faded and I look ashamedly back at Gnash.

The other beast soul dipped her ladle into the hot mix and brought the liquid back over to me. And unlike Ever, she sloshed bits over the side every time she walked. As she brought it nearer I squirm and try to pull my chest away. Smooth hands wraps themselves around my face and Ever shakes her head down at me and points to her mouth. Her words make no sense to my ears when she tries to say something, so in the end she just held my face gently and Gnash lowered the ladle to my lips.

Oh I think and open my mouth. Hot bitter liquid laced with cumin, and cloves burned down my throat and I felt delirious because of the potency of it. As soon as the ladle is finished, Gnash sits up and puts the ladle back into the pot. She says something to Ever and the two have a short conversation. Ever looks between me and Gnash and reluctantly gets up and takes her hands off my face.  
Ohhh...Evergreen waves to me and walks with Gnash to the door. Waves of exhaustion and pain washes over me and I watch, Ever, leave with the witch doctor. I didn't want Ever to go, I wanted to talk to her some more and comfort her. But she and Gnash left for a reason obviously. I sigh and look at the roof and think about Evergreen and me.  
Everyone in the guild teases us. I used to think why. I mean any guy that looks at Ever is sure to notice that she is gorgeous. But...Why shouldn't we get together? I mean I'm one of the only people she talks to outside of the Raijinshuu. And she is one of the most strongest and independent women I have met. She is surprisingly warm and tender, she makes me laugh and smile. I make her laugh too, when we aren't arguing we work well together I close my eyes and then considered her. But why would she want to be with me? I'm not good looking at all. I'm practically a giant, I'm not smart, I'm not the best fighter in all of the guild. Hell, she proved that by kicking my ass when Laxus tried to take over the guild. What can I offer her? Self pity drowned me and all I could think about was why I will never be good enough for her.  
Maybe I can work at it. Try to get stronger, read a book again like I used to and grow smarter. I could even learn about plants to try and...and...And what? Even in my thoughts I can hear people sniggering at me with mocking eyes and shaking heads.

"That's the brother" they will say.

"That's the monster"

"That's the villain"

"That's the sister killer"

"That's the joke that wants to be wanted"

"He want's to be with her?!"

"Who would want to be with him?"

Do I seriously expect that to be enough for her? Would she ever even want to be near me like that? To look at this face everyday and grow to like it even perhaps love it?! To-to kiss me?! I don't even deserve to look at her and admire her! I shake my head and pain lanced through me as punishment for my hopeful thinking. What a joke...What a terrible fucking joke.

"Well now what are we 'dinking 'bout here?" a lisp and thick voice muttered above me. My eyes snapped open and dark almost black eyes peered at me gleefully. 

"Aww" Logan laughed evilly through his covered face. "Does the big Fairy Tail freak have a cut?" Logan jabs at my wound and I cry out in pain. I think of Ever's bloody broken face and rage builds in me, I try to move my arms. To do the thing they do best and beat him to the ground. But they wouldn't move an inch.  
"Oh what's dis?" Logan walked around and picked up a bowl of powder that Gnash put into my wine. "I dink Gnash put lion marrow into your wine" the cripple threw the remains into the fire and I can see the laughter in his eyes. "She probably did that to stop you from moving and opening that wound again. But you know what?" Logan hunkered down next to me and brought out a metal strap that he flexed so bright runes lit up around it. "Dis gives me a priceless opportunity to get dat green blitch"   
Ever! I thought and struggle to move.  
Logan stroked the metal and grinned.

"Gnash was right you know? I dought your precious Evergreen was a sex doy for her boys bu' nooo" Logan shook his head. "She hasn't been broken in yet. Maybe I will pay her a visit now dat you can't move, maybe I will fuck her bloody in the snow and make her kiss my face now dat she has had a go a' me". 

My eyes widened in panic and I struggle to move but nothing is happening!

"Stay away from her!" I hiss. "She will kill you before I will!"

"Oh but Elfman lad" Logan patted my cheek. "I'm prepared now!" he lifted up the metal band. "Hell maybe I will force her do scream ou' your name for help and all you can do is lay here and listen do me rip her apar'. And if she gives me as much sport as I think she will" Logan winked and fury built up in me. "I might give you da left overs. Have you had a woman Elfy?" Logan laughed and rubbed his hands. "I doubt it. But I often find the broken in ones are the best for a first timer" Logan laughed and wind boomed against the doors in his wake as he left to find Evergreen where ever she is.

"EVER!" I scream and try anything to move.

"EVAAA!".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter took over two weeks to write. This one? Two days....But oh my god what's gonna happen aye? The next chapter will have a warning at the top, this is just a forewarning but I thought I should tell you now especially for future readers. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it even though shit is about to go down. Read and or review both are appreciated.
> 
> Lots of Love.
> 
> San-of-the-forest.


	14. Evergreen

Warning: the following chapter contains sexual assault. Viewer discretion.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The blue cloudy sky slowly began to change to a dark puce colour much like my bruise, the sun lowered itself behind the three mountains, and steam puffed out of my mouth. 

It's the end of the day, I sigh and realize just how quickly today went. I'm glad it's over. So much shit happened, and now Elfman is lying down on a couch with half his chest ripped open and immobilized by Gnash's potions. Me and Gnash were leaving to get some things from our accommodations to spend the night in the big house. I hope he gets better soon, just like him to get a wound like that a walk around without a shirt. I have taken his coat off him in the Big House as we left and now I pulled the big thing on me. It was by all means far too large, but it is comfy and warm. He shouldn't mind really, hell he practically wrapped me in the thing back at the cliffs. But he....I remember him looking at me as I staunch his wounds. I felt his eyes on me as I leaned over him and pressed that rag against his broad chest and as I stitched his wounds. When I looked back at them, they weren't hard and cold like dark ice when he is angry, much like they were at the cliff face when he interrogated me about my blackened mouth. They were soft, clear and bright blue full of warmth even after I poured the boiling wine on his chest (albeit a little hazy with pain) Even the way he looked at me left me ponderous and queer feeling. Every man I encounter, (not including the Raijinshuu) always looked at the most prominent parts of me. Particularly my breasts.

And yet he was observing my face with undivided attention and it was so...so satisfying. Satisfying that he watched me intently like he did, and sure I felt his gaze drop below my neckline once...But I wasn't uncomfortable or unhappy with the act, in fact it made me feel attractive and pretty. I wonder how he feels about...us? Is he thinking about that now? I mean I've never felt so happy or so satisfied any man taking my hand like he does. It's not a courtesy or even a rash attempt to flirt with me, he genuinely wanted to comfort me and ask the truth from me. And then when I leaned on his arm, I was half hoping that he would hold me properly and securely. Is it alright for me to feel this? I mean sure he looked at me like he did and he gave me comfort, but would he want me to feel this way for him? I mean come on, I'm the one who dumps all of my emotional crap on him. I mean after hearing all my shit about me and the Raijin as well as my social insecurities, he is sure to not want to deal with me like...like that. He's been so tolerant and I'm so grateful for his ear, but I doubt he wants to hear my problems with the Raijinshuu and my social life anymore. Despite the promises we made in Gnash's hut. But my ears are all his if he ever needs someone to talk to. Disappointment dumped my shoulders and I puff morosely, I really enjoyed having someone to talk too. He might tell me that he wants to hear what I want to say, but...

"I've seen you cry before..."

"Hhhh" I sigh and grind the tips of my into my forehead.

"What are you thinking about?" The raspy voice next to me whispered.

I smirk and look up at the pale face and dark eyes above me. "Too much".

"By too much do you mean Elfman's size?"

"What?!" My face burned. "Look-just, just no!" I yell and turned my burning head back to the snow. "What do you want to talk about anyway?" I rush to change the conversation.

"Your tattoos for one" Gnash muttered and stopped by a butchery with huge red elk carcasses prepped and cleaned on the hooks, ready for tomorrow mornings customers.  
"Getting these tattoos will be very painful" she peered closer at the meat and I noticed the butcher and his kin back away from the counter. "I recommend not eating any foods tonight or tomorrow for breakfast".

"Sure..." the hair on the back of my neck prickled like I was being watched. I turned peered into the darkness between the low houses, but there is nothing to see. The darkness is consuming and everywhere, the village is so big that there is more shadows than light under the brows of the house and the brooding masses of three huge mountains. I roll my shoulders and look back at the meat dripping on their hooks. 

"Look these tattoos..." I look up at Gnash and she stares at me unblinking.   
"How big are they to be? And will they look nice? I want mine to be small and preferably where no one will-".

"I do not chose the pattern nor the size of the marking" Gnash caught a drop of blood on her big claw and held it to her sharp nose.

"You don't! Then what happens?!" my neck prickled again and a shiver went down my spine. Twitching my head, I probe around me with the corner of my eye. A sharp breeze races past me and I bunch Elfman's coat tighter around me. The prickling feeling on my neck made my hair stand on end and the sharp breeze rushed past me again. I look up at the trees above the butchery and the needles are as motionless as my statues.

"What happens is that your magic in you picks the pattern. I just guide the needle" Gnash flicked the speck of blood into her mouth and swallowed it. A gasp echoed in front of us and two little children backed away from the window, their eyes trained on Gnash and me.

"So you're saying that I could get a huge fucking tattoo of a turtle or some shit on my back, and I will have to deal with it?!" I growl and look uneasily over my shoulder. The breeze rushed past us once more and I shifted uncomfortably.

"Turtle?" Gnash almost frowned. "None of my tattoos have ever been in the shape of an animal. But I suppose it could happen depending what shape your magic chooses. And yes you will have to deal with whatever you get because these tattoos are permanent" Gnash nodded seriously and pointed to a man across the street. "His tattoos will never fade, never lose their shape or detail. And they will never come off. Even your own healer Porlyusica will not be able to remove them."

"So..." my neck prickled again and I shivered violently, distress built in me like a damn and that fucking breeze washed past me once more. "Gnash, do you feel like we are being watched?!"

Gnash turned and looked around, her eyes narrowed and she sniffed the air experimentally like a dog. "I don't smell any knew scent. I've always been observed when I'm in the village so I would know if anyone is specifically watching me...But you?" she shook her head. "Only you can tell if someone is watching you".

Great, that's just what I needed to hear, I scowl at her and shuffle my feet. "Could it be Draugr?".

"Draugr normally hunt at night. They will now after their mistake of attacking today, they are intelligent creatures and will learn from their mistakes and adapt. I doubt it is them and I doubt they will be this close to the village when defenses are so...Up tight" Gnash rolled her head.  
"Who do you think is watching you?".

"I..." my immediate thoughts were Logan, I gesture towards me and Gnash leaned down ominously. "I badly hurt Logan earlier today..."

"Ahh" Gnash whispered, her breath smelt of cold wet air. "You believe he is out waiting for revenge?"

I nod and looked around. The breeze hasn't moved past us since but I felt eyes everywhere.   
"I don't feel comfortable around him. He used to openly flirt and romanticize with me, but when I confronted him with his motives against Elfman, he accused me of things-"

"I know" Gnash interrupted.

"And when he hit me, I basically destroyed his face!" I shiver and remember the dark eyes full of burning hatred staring at me.

"Well that would do it" Gnash scratched the top of her bald scalp. "The first impressions people gain from you is from your appearance, it's a lifelong lesson that me and Elfman are thoroughly aware of".  
I shift uncomfortably from her words and think of Elfman's bright, blue, beautiful eyes.  
"If Logan's face is destroyed it only makes it that more harder for people to grow to like him and be open for business proposals. If you have destroyed it into a bloody mess then it is sure that he will hate you".

"Spectacular!" I snap sarcastically.

"I doubt he will try anything. Do you want me to escort you back to your accommodations for your supplies?"

I pause for a second and weigh up the offer. It would definitely calm my nerves if someone accompanied me through the village. But who's to say Logan will try something? Hell it might not even be him watching me. I sigh and shake my head. My pride raised it's huge head and I remembered something. I'm a member of the Raijinshuu, I can defend myself as Logan should be thoroughly aware of!

I smile a look up at Gnash with my easy arrogant smile.

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself".

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure" I nod.

"Very well then" Gnash began to turn and walk away when she stopped. "I think you are beginning to understand that secret".

"Gnash..." I groan and this timed ignored the breeze that rushed past me. But if I'm being honest, I think I know of what she is talking about...Even if I'm not ready to face it yet or ever.

"You should hurry now. Night is falling and I'm sure Elfman would appreciate your company. Logan's stupid brother could be trying to have a conversation with him" she walked away in quick and graceful strides and soon, I lost her between the great shadows and gloominess of the village.

She is right, I should get moving, as soon as Gnash left it felt like the intensity of the air increased ten fold. And who ever is watching me is drilling a laser into my neck. I tossed my hair in fake casualness and walked off in a north easterly direction to out house. Our house is positioned in the less populated region of the village, where most of the houses are abandoned or dilapidated. Our house is in perfect condition but I would've almost taken this deliberate isolation as an insult if I didn't value my privacy. The house is made out of dark wood and a low ceiling, it is nicely insulated and has a big fire place with thick furs, that honestly are little musty. Overall better accommodations than expected.

I made my way there now and the mildly quite village seemed to suffocate me. I shivered and tugged the collar up and around my neck, the fabric is warm and smells good. Like clean fabric though slightly damp from the snow. I lift up my good arm and tug down the sleeve, clean white pure skin stood out stark against the dark fabric and I take in every detail with my eyes. This may be the last I see my arm like this...tomorrow I could get a tattoo that covers every inch of my body.  
What would it look like? Will it be gaudy and huge, and something meaningless? I think of all the villagers tattoos that I have seen, every tattoo looks bold and fierce much like how I want to appear to others. I have an appreciation of the finer things however, like perfection within statues and every aspect in life. Tattoos that are bold and fierce I like seeing on other people, and I like representing the idea of bold and fierceness, but having one on me for the rest of my life? The guild mark means little to me as it is small, I can cover it if I wish, and most importantly it will come off. This tattoo is for life and very painful to put on. It may suit Elfman, in fact I can see the Celtic style of body art suiting him very much. But... Sudden apprehension clouded me as I became unaware of the sudden lack of people as I entered the Southern end of the huge village. I'm much smaller than Elfman, and the chance that it looks bad on me is much greater. The air began to smell damp and big snow flakes float from the sky and the last of the murky light is extinguished into darkness. I blink in the gloom and look around. Wait a minute, where am I? 

The village is so dark as there is no stars or moon to light my way anymore. I shiver at the claustrophobia and go to use my fairy light but the green light only lit up the first few feet in front of me. I cursed and looked around, I have to walk back through this...It is a troubling thought and I have a sudden urge to abandon my trip back to our house and just make my way back to the big house. I look around and try to squint for the beginnings of the houses that mark the start of our particular section, but the darkness in engulfing. It is too pitch and my light will only glow a few feet in front of me. I straighten my back and scowl into the darkness, I am Evergreen of the Raijinshuu, the darkness doesn't scare me! I take a couple more steps and that ungodly breeze blasts past me and tugs at my hair almost cruelly. I freeze for a moment and stand with a shaking hand in the darkness, my neck burned and felt as if one hundred eyes are upon me. The silence endured and split my nerves on end, but I couldn't move, not an inch! 

"Who's there!" I call out, my voice quaking. The wind whispered again and rustled, flapping noises filled the silence and my hair prickled at it. I shakily raised my good arm and try to make my light brighter, but my perfect fairy magic isn't made for lighting up dark places. It's made for stinging, and burning, and obliterating, so sadly my attempt didn't amount to much. I glare into the darkness and the flapping noise grew louder and louder, and it felt as if there is someone standing right behind me.  
"Fuck this! I'm going back!" the darkness can have this victory, I shudder and think of the large and warm open fire in the big house, and more importantly, a certain someone's large reassuring presence.

As soon as I turned and began to jog back, that terrible wind picked up again and almost seemed to push me back and away from the central area of the village, I hurried forward and that's when I heard it.  
"QWORK" a dark and rusty sounding thing screamed.

"SHIT" my heart burned away all other noise and I was running back towards the lights of the distant buildings. The wind is persistent and tried its best to push me back, but my fear and adrenaline pushed me forward. I don't remember moving my feet or the time it took for me to get to the first low house, but when I did I shuddered and slumped against the hard wall with my breath clouding the air.  
"Oh thank gods" I whisper and press my hand against my thudding heart. The dark is scary especially when you are by yourself.

"QWORK!"

"AHHH!" I scream and slam myself against the wall when something large and dark flew right past me and landed in the snow a few feet from myself. My hand was up and in seconds and a bright flash of my magic filled the air. Black splotches filled my vision and after a few moments of blinking and randomly firing in the general direction of the object, my vision finally cleared. In front of me was a very familiar and large crow with huge scars across his beak and long tousled feathers that are currently fluffed around him like a hedgehog. Large burned holes surrounded him but to his luck, none touched him. 

"Ugly?!" I gasp and look closer. 

"Qwork?" Ugly coughed and shook a foot.

"OH my god, UGLY" I rush forward, grabbing the bird and coddling him to my chest.

"QWORK!" Ugly screamed in outrage.

"Oh thank gods its just you!" I babble and the huge bird squirmed his way out of my arms and flapped his bloody great wings in my face, much like a bitch slap. He screamed once and flopped to the snow again to clean himself of this indignity. 

"I thought that there was someone..." dark eyes full of anger and loathing flashed in my mind but I shake it off. There is no one here, and no one there. I sigh to relax myself and Ugly regarded me coolly.  
"It's just us".

The wind hissed and whispered around me, and I look up again. The wind's fingers plucked at my hair and pulled it around my face and tousled Elfman's coat until it snapped around me so violently it was about to fall off.

"Jus' you?" a thick and sloppy voice grumbled all around me. My heart leaped and my head snapped up and all around to find the source of the voice.

"Where are you?!" I stand up and look around. I recognize that voice! 

"Around" the voice said thickly. Wind rushed around me and shimmered in the light in an unusual way. It twirled and tumbled and glimmered sharply and a figure began to take form from the wind. A flash of spinning tumbling rune tattoos flicked out of the wind, and then a man clad in thick and furs and a bandaged face appeared in the mild darkness.

"Go away" I hiss at Logan and place my hand on my cracked glasses.

"Away?" Logan shook his head and I eyed the blood seeping through the rags covering his face. "Not really par' of the plan. Going away dat is".

"How loud did you scream huh?" I spit and flick my glasses.

"Not as loud as you will be" Logan's eyes glinted and he pulled out a metal band glowing in runes.  
I immediately rip off my glasses but he isn't looking at my eyes and started pacing back and forth in the snow like a cat.

"Why did you pu' lion marrow into Elfman's drink?" Logan eyed me with sick maliciousness in his eye.

"What are you talking about?" I growl.

"Well da thing is, he can't move until da effects of da marrow wear off".

"What have you done to him?!" I shout. Has he hurt him?! Killed him?!  
"If you've touched him-"

"Aww you don't want me touching your precious Elfy" Logan shook his head in pity.   
"Would you miss dat ugly face of his?"

"Shut the fuck up! Don't you ever talk about him like that!" I shout. "He is a far better man than you!"

"Dat's true, but dis far greater man can't move. Dat stops him from saving you" Logan began to unwind the rags upon his face.

"What?!" I hiss and flick up my fairy wings.

"Well don't get too worked up" the bloody rags dropped to the snow and a sick gory mess of a face stared at mine. As expected half his nose has been demolished into a bloody mess, his top lip is split into a horrid cleft lip that disturbingly showed the majority of his teeth. But his two front teeth are shattered into stubs with blood oozing from sockets.

"Best get used to lookin' at dis face" Logan almost grinned. "Because I'm gonna fuck you into the ground!"

I don't remember jumping, I just remember soaring into the the sky and scanning the ground for my target.   
"I'm gonna fuck you into the ground!"  
This isn't worth the fight! I turn towards the big house in the distance and flick my wings back to fly as fast as I can there. My heart is thumping as I grew closer, but then the first grip of the wind wrapped around my ankle. I hip cracked painfully and I was slammed into a wall, the tight pressure of air secured firmly against my foot. Twisting and Kicking, I try to pull myself free and panic begins to build up and up in my chest as I was only dragged back and deeper into the ally.

"FUCK OFF!" I scream and lash out with my magic. I only succeed in demolishing the side of a house and the wind howled around me almost laughingly. The harsh wind gushed past my head and I could see the outline of rune tattoos swirling in the wind. Body parts begin to take shape from the wind, a large hand formed and gripped my hair in a twist and yanked it back sharply. Cold snow bit into my neck and a heavy pressure stretched itself over my hips. Logan in straddling my hips and his ghastly face peered at mine.  
"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I scream in panic and despite his merciless grip, I toss my glasses off my head with a desperate shake.

"Ah ah" Logan avoided my gaze and his free hand lifted up the glowing metal strap. My eyes widened for a second and then a icy cold darkness bit against by cheeks and my eyes were covered completely by the horrid thing. Tears built up in my eyes but they could fall past the metal band binding my eyes.

"GET THIS OFF ME!" I try to rip off the iron band and also push off Logan, but neither will budge. I flash my hands up and try to blast Logan with enough magic to completely burn off his face, but an iron fist slammed into my stomach and the breath left with the blood that dribbled down my chin. I try again but another fist slams into my face and my teeth bit down against my tongue, a bright flash of pain washed through my face and my body ached in pain. It is useless. My magic is made for long distance not this up close. 

"PLEASE STOP THIS! PLEASE" I scream in desperateness as another iron band was set around my wrists.

"Did you stop wid my face?" Logan hissed and his hands began working on my pants. "I'm going to fuck you bloody!"

"No, no, no, no" I whimper and struggle as he succeeds in unbuttoning my pants.   
"HELP SOMEONE HELP!" I scream and try desperately to kick him or use my fairy magic. But the iron bands around my hands stopped any flow of magic reaching my hands. Logan began his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hate, hate, hate,hate, hate myself. If you do too I don't blame you. I also don't want to make Evergreen a victim but I need to get Logan out of the picture. Trust me, I'm not making Evergreen weak, she ain't. If she didn't have those iron bands around her or if Logan doesn't have powers over the winds then she would kick his ass. I'm sorry if this chapter offended anyone or if I have made you think I intend Ever to be weak. She has a major part to play in this story for strength and courage and I wont let her become a weak character. Hiro doesn't give her enough time to shine, and she is often over looked by the fandom. Again sorry if this has offended anyone, I'm not going to let Ever suffer.
> 
> Thank you for reading.
> 
> Lot's of love.   
> San-of-the-forest.
> 
> P.S. Because Logan's mouth had practically been destroyed, he can't pronounce words with "th" in them. For example, 'thorough' is a word he couldn't say. These letters have been replaced by d's.


	15. Elfman

Shit! I struggle on the couch until my veins tensed against my skin. C'mon, C'MON! Despite my efforts I was no where closer to moving an inch off this damn sofa.  
"FUCK'S SAKE!" I scream and strain my head towards the door. I can still see Logan walking out if those doors and after Ever. No, no no no! I can't let that happen to her!  
I won't allow Logan to hurt Ever, I will murder him before I allow that! Beautiful brown almond shaped eyes full of innocence, arrogance, and laughter flashed in my eyes. All of that light and laughter in them will be gone if Ever can't help herself and I can't help her. Tears of anguish filled my eyes and streamed helplessly down my face and I strain until my stitches begin to split against my chest wound.  
"FUCKING HELL!" My voice breaks and the bone chandelier above me shakes. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" I cry out hoping that Gnash, the smith, Rojin, anyone could help. Gods I can't...I can't let him touch her!  
But it seems if any gods exist, they aren't listening today.  
"SHIT, SOMEOOOOOONNEE!" I shout and nearly bite my tongue off in frustration. Dammit! Tears leaked down my face and the door way stared at me hopelessly.  
"Dammit!" I hiss.

"Why are you so loud?" a meek voice whispered behind me.

If I could've jumped I would've. My face snapped to the right, and standing above me is a portly man of short stature, with watery grey eyes and a weak chin with thin wisps of hair on it. Logan's brother!  
Sadly for him he has inherited my hatred and anger for Logan, but sadly for me-I need his help.

"Look I need your help-"

"Why are you crying?" He asked stupidly and rubbed his eyes. "I hate crying".

"Look it doesn't matter, I can't move-"

"It's a noisy and messy thing. Why are you shouting?" The village leader scratched his chin and great flakes of dry skin chipped off and floated gently onto the couch.

"I'M SHOUTING BECAUSE I NEED HELP!" I shout and try to cringe away from the dead skin.

Logan's brother backed away from me with tears budding in his eyes. "D-don't y-yell at m-me" the oldest cringed with his bottom lip quivering. "You're going to make me cry! I h-hate crying" the dipstick whimpered and honked into his sleeve.

I grit my teeth and try to breathe calmly. I'm talking to a man with the mentality of a four year old. Talk to him like he is a four year old.  
I fill my lungs with air and breathe as calmly as I can out. Treat him as you would treat, Asuka...  
"Look, I'm sorry for yelling...." I smile as nicely as possible despite the building panic in the pit of my stomach. "But I need your help!" my smile began to hurt my face but I kept it there.

"Why do you need h-help" he sniffled and rubbed his nose.

"Because I've been...frozen" I nod seriously and the brother inches closer. "And my good friend is danger!"

"Frozen! Like a snowman" Logan's brother ignored the last sentence and rushed forward.

"...Yes. Like a snowman" I really want to punch this guy in the face. C'mon just pull it off for a little longer... Evergreen's bloody and broken lip flashed behind my eyes. My heart thundered in panic and I try again to shift off the couch.

"You don't look frozen to me!" he prodded my face and I grit my teeth to stop myself from lashing out. Or trying too in this case.

"I'm frozen on the inside" I whisper and look at the door, wishing more than anything that I was rushing out the door now. "Can you help? My friend is in trouble".

"Trouble? What type of trouble?" he scratched his face again and more dead skin floated off and landed on my chest.

SHE IS ABOUT TO BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY YOUR BROTHER, YOU FUCKING BRAINLESS PIECE OF SHIT! I could almost scream but I bit back my tongue and smile.   
"A monster is after her. I need to stop the monster".

The older brother cocked his head and spit dribbled off his lip in a stupid way. "Monster?!" he looked around panicked. "The big black bony ones with green eyes?!"

"Maybe!" I hiss in a conspiring way. Logan is not a monster, I am. Logan is a piece of shit. "But if I don't get unfrozen then the monster will get her!"

"Unfroze, unfrozen, unfrozen, unfrozen!" he muttered in a mantra and paced back and forth along the couch. "We could set you on fire!" as soon as he said that, he rushed to the fireplace with horrifying determination.

"NO!" I shout and he freezes and looks at me with fearful eyes. "The fire would kill me!" I say more calmly. 

"Oh...Oh that's right" he tapped his foot and looked at the contents of the kettle in the fire. Boiling. Fucking. Wine.

"When I got super cold and stuck, my brother put me in a hot bath and fed me hot wine!" he picked up the huge kettle with an oven mitt and tried to balance that and the sloshing and burning fluid inside. He stumbled forward and approached me with the thing.

Oh shit. "What are you doing?!" I demand and try my best to move away from the short man and his bubbling pot of wine.

"Feeding you the wine silly!" he smiled triumphantly and moved over the last few meters towards me.

"Look, wine is the thing that made me frozen!" I shout and stare with wide eyes at the large pot dangling above my head. The pot is so hot, the bottom of it is red hot and smoking. "GET THE LADLE, GET A CUP, GET ANYTHING-" I begin to shout louder as he tried to angle it so the hot fluid would fall on my face.

"Shush, shush!" he crooned like he was talking to a puppy. "Now open wide!" he smiled and began to tip the kettle. That's when he fucked up. He is wearing socks, and as he leaned forward, they slipped on the highly washed and polished floor beneath him.  
"Ahh!" he shrieked and cast his hands above him as he tried to find support. The kettle flew into the air, and the entire contents of the kettle, as well as the cherry red hot kettle landed bang splat on my bloodied, and cut chest.

"MOTHER FUCKERRR!" I scream and my fists snaps up and smashed Logan's brother straight in the face. My body twisted and flung itself off the thick couch and onto the floor. Burning flesh filled my nostrils, but my chest felt like fire. Screaming into the floor boards, I wither and twist desperate to relieve the agony on my chest. After what seems like hours my chest went from furious agony, to an aching throb that felt like my ribs are melting.  
"Ah. Ah" I moan and touch my chest. My hand came away slick and bloodied and pain flashed through me even with the slightest of touches. I look down and my pectorals and abs, which are glistening red and slick with blood and wine.  
Ever... I think and stare at the door disoriented. I know she isn't helpless but no pain is going to stop me from going to help her anyway. "Ah, shit" I whimper and stagger to my feet. My chest wound weeps through the stitches and stings like hell has no fury but I stagger forward somehow towards the door. Something whimpers behind me and I almost sigh in relief that my punch didn't kill him.  
Logan! that pushes my motivation. I stagger to the door and shove it open angrily. Cold wind bites deep into my burned torso and I cry out in pain.  
Come on, move! I take a step forward, shirtless, into the darkness and look into the sky for any light source. No stars or moon lit the sky, and all lights from the houses are blown out to muffle any heat sources that might attract the Draugr. Yesterday I commended the smart idea. Today I curse it as I can't find any footprints. 

How can I find her?! I turn left and right, opening my mouth to call out her name. Then I close it.

If I call out her name, it might alert Logan and put her in even more danger. I have to be discrete no matter how much I want to run around screaming her name!  
Right, I need to detect her silently. I hunch on the ground and let my beast soul over flow me. Thick fur covered my body and stung my chest, long and hooked claws grew and itched like fury from my feet and hands. My hands grew longer and more elongated, my ears longer too and pointer. As did my mouth with fangs stinging as they grew out and long nose and muzzle that picked up all the smells of the village. I rose on two feet in my werewolf form and sniffed the air with my tail swishing. But through all the sleepy noises of the village I heard something. 

"Stop!" a long distance voice called out.

Thud! a heavy fist cut out the voice.

My yellow eyes grew huge and my face snapped in that direction of the noise. A fragrant fresh scent touched my sinuses and my heart pumped painfully. EVER! I am running on all fours in that direction in an instant. Buildings, trees and other things were dark smudges of grey's and blacks. White being the only thing pure because of the snow. My chest is numb of pain, due to the pain or my panic I can't tell. The ground is a blur beneath me and my head snaps left and right at all the alleys to try and find her. Her smell grows stronger and I pick up a sour and bloodied smell of a wounded animal. Wounded man. But as I get closer I notice that I am leaving the main section of the village and entering the isolated resident area, and I still can't see her.

"EVER" I scream. But in my panic, my cry turned into a booming and dreadful wolf's howl that echoed through the entire village. I race forward as fast as I can and strain my ears for her voice. But a muffled and thick voice makes my ears twitch.

"Scream for your friend. Let him know that I'm about to fuck you so bloody, that no man will ever want your cunt".

My vision went black. My paws thundered beneath me and I ripped grooves into the snow so deep, you could bury a body there. I twist to the left at an alley and that's where I see them. He is on top of her and he is forcing her to kiss him! His bloody ruined face was biting and bloodying hers and his hands were forcing themselves onto her, everywhere. 

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!" I shout and my feet were the wind beneath me. I was on him in seconds, his body a bloody pin cushion under my claws. I rip him off of her and crush his hands with my huge paws. I ripped his thighs to ribbons with my claws and he screamed in pain. I scream in rage and threw him with all my strength to my left where he crashed into a derelict house, with blood pattering out of his nose and ears and a sickening crunch filled the quiet air. 

"Elfman!" Ever gasped, her breaths hitching in her throat as she tried to breathe. Her face is covered in blood from Logan's face. Her lips are pulpy and oozing blood, bite marks dotted her face and her neck with brutal bruises circling each bite mark. Blood wept from them and I rushed to her immediately and hunkered down over her so my body protected hers from any scum that could be watching. Then I see the tight iron straps covering her eyes and binding her hands. I changed back to my human form and desperately work on them. 

"It's me, Ever! It's me!" I say with a thick voice and touch the ones around her wrists. As soon as I touched the band, bright blue runes lit up around it and fell off her.

"Get the other off, get it off!" she begged and scrambled at the one around her eyes. I reach up to touch them and as I do I notice the claw marks around her thighs. Her pants are gone, but her underwear is still on, but blood and bruises dripped around her knees and upper thighs. Seething rage bubbled in me like the kettle full of wine and I tapped the metal around her eyes and they fell to the ground in a clatter. As soon as it did I stepped to the side of her and hunkered down until I was as small as I can mange. The woman twisted in the snow desperately and scrambled for the glasses above her, with fumbling hands and eyes as big as saucers.

"Ever? Ever?" I pick up my coat and drape it over her shoulders clad in a thin white shirt. She whimpered and shoved on her glasses and then fought with her pants and had them up and over her hips again.   
"Ever?..." She stared at the snow for a second and my heart faltered that she wouldn't listen to me, that she would be like this now and stare at the snow forever now. And then her hands bunched into fists and her eyes lifted from the snow but ablaze with wrath.

"Is he still alive?" she hissed and a green type of yellow began to halo around her fists. I say nothing and turn to Logan. He is sitting up in the snow, with blood cascading out of his nose and ears, with twisted and snapped hands flopped on his lap. His face is more of a monstrosity than ever, the jaw bone has shattered and his tongue lolled out of his mouth like a dead snake. His nose which was damaged before is now damaged far beyond any recognition of a nose, and yet his eyes are the ugliest thing and gleamed with hatred and malice. Something small and cold grabbed my neck and I was yanked around so my eyes met with golden brown eyes, alight with fury.   
"IS. HE. ALIVE?!" Ever shouted. Something cold and full of dread sat at the bottom of my stomach and I nod.  
She bared her teeth and spat blood into the snow next to me while struggling to her feet. Something hot and dangerous rolled off of her making the burning pain on my chest throb in light to her own fury. Kneeling in the snow, I watched her approach Logan and a grimness settled in my heart to watch her do her own work.

"Did you like that you fucking piece of shit?" Ever hissed. Logan grinned a deranged disgusting grin and blood boiled out of his lips. 

"Whyyyy don't you go fuck Elfy over dere? Pu' on a show for me-" he couldn't finish his sentence as his skull was smashed through the wooden boards behind him.

"YOU" Her hand grabbed him by the throat. A crunch filled the air as she began to crush his throat, his eyes bugged, his face went from white to blue, to red. Ever screamed in her humiliation and rage and threw him into the snow.

"PIECE" her foot smashed into his chest and a sickening crunch reached my ears. Something sick filled my stomach but also something darker, something far more rabid, something bestial. I took so much pleasure watching Ever kill this person slowly.

"OF EVIL" her foot slammed into his chest again, blood splashed out of his shirt and I could see bones begin to rip through the hot flesh. Logan made a pathetic noise and more blood bubbled out of his ruined mouth.

"FUCKING SHIT" Evergreen howled and crushed her foot into the bloody hole in his chest. His body convulsed and his hands twitched in a spastic dance. I watched uncaring as he died slowly, all the while listening to Ever's foot thud into his side over and over and over.

"YOU THINK I'M WEAK?" thud.

"YOU THINK I WILL SUFFER OVER YOU?" crunch.

"YOU THINK YOU ARE THE THING THAT WILL BREAK ME?!" snap. Crunch. Thud.  
I look at Ever and see her arms go limp as she kicked the corpse of this thing in the snow. I don't think she knows he is dead.

"Ever..." I get up gently. She kept kicking Logan, but her arms began to shake with exhaustion and coldness. 

"Ever" walking forward I stoop myself to make me as small as possible, and the least threatening as possible.  
"Evergreen?" I touch her shoulder gently. She span on me and started slamming her own fists into my bloody, burned and cut up chest.  
"AH!" I cry out in pain, but she didn't hear. Tears of pain budded in my eyes but I endure her hard fists and the rage that powered them. 

THUD, an image of Logan laughing as he left the big house flashed behind my eyes in pain.  
THUD, the memory of screaming on the floor of the big house after hot wine and a burning kettle was dumped on it.  
THUD, and finally, the site of Logan kissing Ever with his horrid mouth, and forcing his hands on her flashed in white behind my eyes.

I cry out in pain and collapsed into the snow, my chest weeping blood. I stared up at Ever and she stared down at me, eyeing my chest and the pain I am in. Gritting my teeth and struggling to my feet, the true coldness of this land bit deeply into my chest as the wind blew.  
"I'm s-sorry" I stammer in pain. Ever stared coldly at me and eyed my face. Dark bruises and blood stood out stark on her face and pain stirred in my heart. This is my fault, if only I didn't get hurt by that fucking Draugr then I could've been here to help her! Yet despite her bruises and blood, she still looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.  
"I'm s-sorry" I mutter again and clasp my chest wound. 

Maybe it is my imagination, but maybe her eyes softened just a fraction. Her hand reached up grabbing my shoulder, steadying my shaking body. The spare then moved to my wound and removed my own hand. Her eyes went wide as she inspected the wound and they almost looked tearful. Almost.

"Did...Did he..." I trail off my question without finishing, dreading the answer.

"No" she whispered and tried her best to staunch my wound. 

Relief flooded me and I almost went to embrace her, but then I held back. The last thing she would want is to be in a man's arms. I look at the corpse on the ground and shake my head at it.  
I'm going to have to fix that. His body needs to be found, but I wont have it found looking like he was beaten to death. I remove Ever's hand and limp over to the corpse with revulsion for what I am about to do already bubbling in my stomach.

"What are you doing?" Ever's voice asked me quietly. I look at her and her cold almost dead looking eyes, my resolve hardened seeing those eyes.

"Fixing this" I say determinedly and change into my werewolf form again.

"Wait what-" she began to walk forward.

"Don't" I raise a paw with huge claws and with the other I pick up the cloth around the corpses crushed throat. "Don't follow me".

"But-".

"I will be coming back" I look at her with my big yellow eyes and hold her own for a second. Then I drag the corpse around the house and down an alley seven houses away. The further away from her hearing the better. I can't let the people of the village find out she killed him. I wont allow that to happen. I dump the corpse onto the ground and stare at the remains for a second.

"You shouldn't have done this. You shouldn't have gone near her" I crouch down and steel my stomach. Then I begin my disgusting work.

***

Her eyes are cold and dangerous when I walk back around the corner, they don't lose that edge either upon the site of blood on my hands. After I changed back from my wolf form, I tried to scrub off as much blood as possible with the snow. But snow isn't the best for these things. Shivering from the cold, I walk up to her and pulled the coat more tightly around her, she needs to be warm more than I do.  
"Do-do you want to go back now?" I ask gently and once more try to be as small as possible.

She stares at me silently, her eyes as cold as the snow. And I can't help but remember how warm and bright they were when she treated me in the big house. She nodded and began to walk to the edge of the alley. 

"CAW" a shrill voice croaks and a huge crow landed on the ground next to me.

Jumping I look down at Ugly who regarded me with huge black eyes and scratched his beak. Twisting his head left and right his eyes bulged as he caught the sent of cold blood. With a hungry caw, Ugly leaped to the sky and began to seek his meal on the remains seven houses away.

Good I thought. You weren't fit for anything but crow's food. I follow Ever to the edge of the alley and never moved more then a meter away from her as we began the long dark walk to our house. I couldn't bare to have her away from me, every inch of me wanted to comfort her, to hold her and to make those eyes warm and lively again. And then I remind myself: a man is probably the last person she wants to be around. I couldn't take my eyes off of her for one second but I couldn't bring myself to say anything, I don't know what will hurt her in this state. The walk is as long and cold as I thought it will be, and by the time we reach our lodgings well under the ominous glare of the three mountains, it is roughly one o'clock in the morning. 

Trudging up the stairs, Ever, seemed so...so tired, she fumbled with the lock and by the time she had opened the door, I was right behind her. I flinch as a cold wind struck and shuffle inside after her, closing the door I immediately go to the fire and began to kindle the wood and shavings beneath it. My chest burned in agony but I will deal with that later. I need to make Ever as comfortable as possible. I was just scratching the flint and steal against each other when she spoke.

"I'm going to have a shower..." he voice was dead and almost a whisper.

"Ever!" I struggle to my feet, not wanting to be in different rooms before I've said something.  
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there. I-I should've....I would never-"

"Elfman" Evergreen walked forward a pace. "Just..." she looked at the floor, lost for words while my heart thudded in my mouth. "Just forget it. I'm having a shower".

As she walks away, tears bud in my eyes at my incompetence. YOU ARE A USELESS PIECE OF LIFE, I curse myself and punch the hard wall as soon as she is out of the room. WHY COULDN'T YOU PROTECT HER, AND TO THINK THAT YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD...how we could work...  
Biting back my sobs of frustration I barely managed to start fire. The small flame hissed and sputtered and after a few minutes as if laughing at my weakness. And slowly it's warmth began to spread it's fingers through the room. I try to stop crying and busy myself with binding my chest with bandages, but even though I wrapped the bandages so tight they hurt, I could get the image of Logan kissing her out of my head. It is my fault that that happened I think and stare into the fire with stinging eyes. I'm so sorry, I shudder into my hand. I tend to the fire as gently as I could, and shuddered at the coldness of humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15, fuck yeah. Oh my god, what a dark chapter. I know that there isn't much fluff in the story at the moment, but the next few chapters will be...maybe. Anyway I will keep this short and sweet. Read and review, likes a gold too and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
> 
> Lot's of Love  
> San-of-the-forest.


	16. Evergreen

The shower is burning hot and I flinch as the hot little bullets kissed my bruises and bite marks. My breasts throb in pain where he grabbed them, and my lower area feels bruised and sore where he touched me forcefully and unwanted.   
What the hell has happened...it is not a question I know what happened. Logan was about to rape me and Elfman saved my life. I was going to be raped if it wasn't for him, that made my bruises hurt all the worse and made my soul curl in disgust. Not because of Elfman, but because I couldn't defend myself. Because my fucking magic is fucking long ranged and couldn't fucking protect me at such a closeness. I slammed a fist against the hard shower wall and my knuckles throbbed painfully. I pull my hand away and gaze at the blood smattering my knuckles with contempt. The metal that Logan had wrapped around my wrists had bitten in deep, not enough to break skin but enough to leave dark thick bands around the flesh. He fought dirty.  
There is no such thing as fighting dirty, just fighting.  
Logan's dark and burning eyes flashed before mine and I shudder against the shower wall.

"Dammit!" I hiss and slam my hand against the wall again. I bite my lip to stop myself crying out, when I hear a door creak open. I jolted upright and pressed myself into the corner of the shower with my bloody fist and wounded shoulder raised. There is two doors to the bathroom. One leading to the main part with the sink and toilet, the second door leading from that room to this shower room.   
Who is it?! My heart is hammering in my chest and I half expect Logan to burst through the shower door. Shivers racked my body and my breaths hiccup in my chest because I didn't know who is out there! It is silent besides a muffled rustling behind the door and my heart thudding in my chest.   
I...I need to check! My hand is shaking as I reached for the door and turn my shower on full blast to muffle the door. I slip it open an inch and spied the intruder in the bathroom.   
It is Elfman.   
My heart is still beating to fast in worry. What is he doing?! Why is he here?! But really he is placing warm new clothes in the floor next to the sink, he has picked up my pajamas and a set of boxers. I notice the thick bandages binding his chest and the way he struggle to bend over.   
He is still in pain....  
I close the door a fraction and wait for him to leave, he does quickly and as quietly as possible and I blink at the pile of clothes on the floor.   
Boxers....he had gone into my room and given me my bed clothes, but he hadn't gone into my underwear bag. Something stirred in my chest, maybe relief but I'm not sure. Those were his own clothes that he has given me maybe I felt a little better about that. I was assaulted in my own clothes, maybe something new will make me feel different. I wash off the last of the blood and tenderly scrubbed down my legs. When I was pressed down and against the snow, my legs are left numb a sore making then almost painful to touch. I opened the shower door and look left and right superstitiously. It isn't the fact that I scared being alone, I'm scared of the possibility that I might not be alone. 

The bathroom is absolutely freezing, and any hot water on my skin turned cold in an instant and I was left shivering on the bathroom floor. My shoulder twinged in pain as I slipped my sleeping thermal on, and the cold water clung to the fabric, my teeth clattered together and I struggle on the large dark blue boxers. They had an elastic waistband so the hugged my hips and didn't slide over them like a expected, It's good Elfman thought of that unless it was a fluke. I didn't bother with my warm pants, they would be too awkward to put on over top the boxers. As I shove on my glasses I shiver in the bathroom when I see the mirror above the sink...  
Don't, you know it will look bad...But my feet ignore me and I slowly walk up to the mirror. I gaze into the mirror and tears budded at what I saw. My pale face was now mostly blackened by huge bruises, my lip is swollen and bruised horribly by the number of punches it received, my left eyes is swollen too and blackened like a plum. Nasty bite marks covered my neck and one cheek, blood weeps from the torn flesh and light bruising surrounded the bite marks. I look disgusting. Rage began to simmer and then boil the longer I looked and eventually I couldn't look any longer. I struggle into the lounge and searched it with tears in my eyes desperately. I don't know if I was looking for Elfman or what, but I was looking for something. And then I saw it. Six huge bottles of whisky sitting on the fireplace mantle along with six pretty whisky glasses. I approached the large fireplace and my legs tingled as the fires tongues heated my legs slowly.  
Yes...This will do. Getting absolutely and terribly drunk sounded like the best thing right now. I take one of the huge square dusty bottles and all the six glasses and plonk myself next to the fire. 

"Now, what are you?" I hold up the large bottle and studied the thick amber liquid inside. Glistening swirls danced inside, like oil, and I could just taste the alcoholic potency now. I strain my ears for Elfman but I couldn't hear him, I wonder where he is.... I search the room with my eyes and the dark corners seemed to stretch and inch closer to me.  
What if there is somebody here? there was nobody outside before it happened. I thought I was alone, but what if I'm not?!  
"Enough! Enough of that shit!" I rip off the black wax seal on the top of the bottle and rip the cork out with my teeth. The fumes of the drink sent tears to my eyes. "G-good" I sigh shakily and bring the opening to my lips. Hot and fiery snakes raced down my throat and chest and burned like hell in my stomach.

"Wow..." I whisper dizzily and gaze at the bottle label. "From the year 584, this bottle is over two hundred years old. A fine vintage" I raise the bottle and begin to down the thick beverage. It tasted like fire, smokey apples, and the old wooden cask it fermented in. It is a bright as a fire and as cold as an iceberg, yet it warmed me more than any fire could. I lowered the bottle and my head is already spinning.  
"What a delightful drink yyyoouu are!" I slur and grinned at the bottle until my lips hurt. My head flopped back and I grin up at the ceiling when dark black eyes full of hate and lust stared at me from the ceiling.

"Go away!" I hiss and stared at the bottle. "Just go away! Just leave me alone!" tears gathered in my eyes and I shake them away roughly. "My stupid fucking magic! Couldn't even help me defend myself could you!" I glare at my fists and admire the blood on my swollen knuckles. "Noooo, you were the only thing that did anything, is that why Elfman uses his fists more than his magicccc" I hiccup roughly and begin to down my third go at the bottle. It is hardly a quarter down... 

"Ever?"

"Huh?" I swoop my head up and gaze at the multiple forms of Elfman in front of me. I think he is carrying fire wood. "Elfmannnn, there is three of you" I slur and put the bottle on the ground next to me. "Hellll, I think I'm already drunk"

"Ever, you shouldn't be doing this" the three Elfmans walked forwards until they merged into one, he knelt in front of me and after dumping the fire wood he went to take the whisky away from me.

"No" I held up a hand in front of him. "Don't!" my hand is clasped around the neck of the bottle tightly and wouldn't let go even when Elfman tried to pries my fingers off of it.

"Ever, you will regret this tomorrow!" he growled.

"Did you know" I giggle and tapped the bottle. "That drinking is stealing happiness from tomorrow? Only the thing is, I don't think there will be annny happiness tomorrow. Noo more than today!" my words trip over each other and I lean my forehead into the bottle.

"Ever, please-"

"No Elfman, please you!" I mumble. "Join me" I pat the floor next to me.

"This isn't a good idea-"

"You know that is exactly something Freed would say!" I hiss and glare at him. "I don't want to drink with Freed, I want to drink with you!"  
Elfman looked at me with deep murky eyes and reluctantly eased himself on the floor next to me.  
"Good, good" I handed him the bottle. "Now drink".

"Ever-"

"Drink" I shake the bottle and eye him down. He reluctantly takes the bottle and brings it to his lips. Handsome lips they are. A perfect bowman top lip that is full but not too full, and a matching straight bottom lip. They are a softer colour to his skin colour. A lighter shade of brown with a hint of pinkness to them. They are wide but not too much, and not small either. They looked all too kissable. I shiver and think of the bloody ruined cleft lip with broken stubs for teeth that forced themselves onto mine. I hungrily watch the bottle and Elfman's lips, but he only took a merger sip from the bottle, enough to fill a thimble.  
"No, no" I shake my head and lift the bottom of the bottle back up to his face. "I said, drink!" I growl.

He fixes me with those eyes again. Those long almond shaped and deep blue eyes and he reluctantly puts the bottle back to his lips. He takes a deep long pull, his Adam's apple moving up and down rhythmically. Leaning back on the fireplace, I watched his form. And he is entrancing. He coughs and splutters on the drink after he finished and immediately put the bottle on the ground. I giggle as he coughed into his hand, and then I took my fourth down of the bottle. The glass rim is still warm where it had his lips on it. He thinks he is ugly...I thought and watched him over the bottle as he watched me. The drink suddenly seemed less satisfactory and I placed it back on the ground. He picks up the bottle again and takes another swig from it. For about twenty minutes we continued this, the thick syrupy liquid burning down our throats and settling into a hot mass in our stomach. I laugh at the buzzy feeling and Elfman snorts too.

"You know" I turned my head to the wall. "I'm so glad I came here with you". Silence was my answer and I grinned at the wall. "Whatt happened could 'ave happened to me at any other time or placee" I mumble and loll my head back around to face him, my grin is still there and I realize just how terrible I must look. "If Freed did ask me to be his partner, I doubt he would've done anything to save me".

"Eva, dat's...dat's not true!" he slurred and put the bottle down.

"Oh really?!" My smile faded in an instant. "Well let's look at the facts! One!" I held up a finger. "Her being upset is pointless!" I yelled and recited the words I heard at the dock. "If he found out I was about to be raped in the snow, he would've said me being upset about that is pointless too!" I shout and laugh hysterically at the ceiling.

"TWO" I yell and hold up another finger. "Did you see him even look at me when the mighty master Makarov was calling out partners. No" I hiss and picked up one of the shot glasses. "All he had eyes for is the fucking leader of our team. Well he can go fuck Laxus in whatever fucking village he is in!"  
"And three" I held up my third finger, tears bubbled in my eyes but I held them back.

"Three...And three, none of them are probably thinking about me now. And if they are, they are probably making crude jokes about me and you" the tears nearly dripped down my face and I grabbed the whisky in between us, but instead of drinking it, I poured it into four of the six shot glasses in front of me.

"Here is to Freed. May he find his fuck boy somewhere in the world!" instead of drinking I threw the glass as hard as I could into the wall way in front of us. Glass shattered everywhere and the precious amber liquid dripped through the cracks on the floor.   
"Here is to Bickslow. May those fucking dolls of his be his only company in life!" I cursed as I threw the glass. A pleasant tinkling noise filled the air.  
"Here is to Laxus. May that stick up his precious ass get no higher!". Smash!

"And here" I lifted the fourth glass. "And here is to Elfman Straussssss" I drawl and look at him. He gaped at me with bright blue eyes, filled with sadness and worry, and hazy with alcohol.

"Who hasn't done absolutely anything to hurt me" I hiccup and place the glass gently back on the ground. I cross my arms over my knees and breathe deeply, in and out, in and out. 

It is over, what has happened is over. You are safe, you are here with Elfman. Move on and be strong. I hiss and repeat those three sentences over and over in my head until my tears fade and I swallow my pain. Something warm gingerly touched my shoulder and my head snapped up to watch Elfman's hand touch it reverently. He seemed almost afraid to come near me.

"Ever...I-I" I look at his face and there are tears falling down in. "I'm sorry" he whispered.

"What for?" I growl almost soberly.

"I'm just sorry for everything that has happened..." Elfman muttered and took a deep pull of the whisky bottle. I think of the last time he was crying, up at Gnash's hut within the trees and how he called me beautiful. My reflection flashed behind my eyes and of all the dark bruises and marks around all my face.

"Do you still think that?" I ask.

"W-what?" Elfman grumbled.

"Do youuuu still think I'm beautiful?" I laugh at his incredulous face. "I didn't think so. Not with my face looking like this" I took the bottle off of him and took my own slug of it. "You know, apparently guys lose interest in girls when they have been assaulted, do you think that's true-"

"Look, Evergreen shut up for a second!" Elfman yelled and scrubbed at his face.

"What?!" I slam the bottle down and glower at him. "Why should I...Shut. Up!" hissing I drum my fingers into the floor.

"Because dat's not true! I-I, I'd never judge a woman because of what someone else did to her!"

Something soft shifted in my hard heart. Maybe for me being so taciturn when he genuinely cares....I lean into his shoulder. It feels warm, warmer than the fire or the whisky. "Freed, Bickslow, Laxus. You are at times similar to all of them, even Freed. But there are times when you are just so different..." I wipe my face and hold the bottle to my face. But I don't drink it and I place it on the ground again

"You know Laxus, I love him and all but... Girls throw themselves at him all the time. And then even when I try to make them go away, to see sense. He...He just uses them and leaves. Bickslow is no better....he just takes the scraps and uses them just as badly. Freed is the only different, but that's only 'cause he is gay" I tap the ground and lean more on Elfman's shoulder. "It just makes me think...Are all guys like this?"

"Eva"

I look up at him and he looks down at me with misty eyes.   
"I'm not just saying this because I'm a guy. But...The idea that guys take advantage of women like that really upsets me. I have two sisters, and I can't stand the idea of that happening to them. And when I look at other woman I just..I just" he trails off and swirls the whisky in the bottle that is now half empty. "I just don't understand why those guys do it".

"You know, for a person that idolizes the virtues of men, you seem to look down on them a lot" I slip my hand down his arm and curl my hand around his.

"People that do that aren't men" he sighed and almost nervously held my hand back.

"Why are you so... nervous?" I ask and hold up our entwined hands.

"I...I thought you being this close to a man would be the last thing you want" Elfman squeezed my hand and I smile at his drunk chivalry.

"You're sweeeeet" I lean back against him. "It's not that, that scares me. It's being alone" I look up at his eyes. "When I was attacked I thought I was alone..."

He blinked at me with his big beautiful eyes and slowly twisted on his side with an arm open. I smile sadly and shuffle into his arms. They are warm and big and oh so tender, I rest my head against his neck and look out the window to watch the snow sprinkle against the black window.

"You asked me if I still thought you are beautiful" a baritone voice rumbled against my ear. Tears tried to bud in my eyes but I forced them back with a smile. I know what he is going to say.

"You are. Those bruises will fade" I hear the drunken slur to his voice but I know he is telling the truth. I shouldn't have gotten him this drunk. But when he started comforting me I had forced the poor guy to keep chugging it back. I relax and lean against his chest when I feel him flinch roughly.

Shit. "Sorry" I ease myself off but he keeps his arms around my back, "I forgot about dat". I can almost feel his smile and relax myself against the lower arm supporting me.  
Thanks...  
The room is warm and comfortable, he is warm and comfortable. But let's be honest. I am in his underwear and his arms. It is a little weird...  
I blink and think about him and his looooong blue eyes, and his handsome lips. They really are spectacular, I mean Laxus has nice lips. But they don't seem as attractive as these ones. I wonder what it would be like to taste them, and feel their fullness and softness. I wonder if he would let me? In my drunken haze I imagine pulling his face down and just kissing him, without giving him time to think. Would he kiss me back? Would he enjoy it?

I allow myself to imagine, the softness, the warmth, the sweetness, his eyes closed in satisfaction. And then suddenly the sour taste of blood laced my mouth. A destroyed mouth with a bloody cleft lip and stubs for teeth forced itself onto mine and a disgusting slimy tongue wriggled its way passed my clamped shut lips and down my throat.

"AH!" I yell and shove myself off him.

"Ever?!"

My heart it thumping and I look around panicked. Looking for any sign of the man with burning black eyes and mutilated face. Is he here?! Is he out there?! I shake in fright and cross my arms to grip my shoulders.  
"It's...it's alright" I murmur. I look up and Elfman is staring at me with scared eyes.

"Was it something I did?" He pulled himself up and a little away from me.

"No no" I look at the fire and a giggle leaped out of my mouth, the giggle turned into a laugh and I buried my face into my arms again.   
"It's just when I close my eyes" I mumble and force my eyes shut to stop the tears. "All I can see is that horrible face kissing me, and his hands..." I trail off as my voice broke. It's over. It's done. He's dead. But my body throbbed painfully to remind me that this did happen. Kissing...  
"You know, it's not my first kiss" I look up with a fake smile.   
Smile and this will disappear.   
Elfman looked at the ground and shifted uncomfortably.   
"My first kiss was with this tall guy with dark green hair" I nearly smile at the memory. "I think I liked him for his hair only, but it was under a warm dry roof in the rain. At the time I couldn't think of anything more romantic".  
Why am I saying this?  
"And he was a good kisser"  
He probably doesn't want to hear this.  
"But I was only fourteen, huh fourteen..." I trail off and notice that Elfman is looking more and more uncomfortable.  
"You know, at that time I thought I was old to have a first kiss. Almost everyone else was having them at thirteen or even twelve. But there was me having that kiss at fourteen" I lean forward and gaze at Elfman's face to gauge his reaction, but he just picked up the bottle of whiskey a downed more to hide it. I giggle drunkenly and shuffle forward.  
"What about you Elf? Who was yourssss" I slur and giggle at him.

"Ah..." He drummed his fingers and shifted to look out the window.

"Oh come on I told you! you can tell me!" I giggle and swash around the bottle of whiskey. A sudden thought came to my mind.

"I didn't ask..." Elfman said through clenched teeth. I brush it off and smile with my split bruised lip.

"Oh wait!" I watch Elfman stiffen. "Do I know her? Or him?" He stayed as quiet as the grave.

"Oh no, she was ugly wasn't she?!" I laugh and imagine that. I guess that Elfman doesn't swing towards the guys, I'd be surprised if he did.  
"Or you two were caught at it by your sisters, now that would be embarrassing. Or the person belongs to another guild..." I shuffle around to sit next to him and peer at his face. He is as rigid as a rock and is looking anywhere but me. "Come on now...".  
His face is much darker than normal even in this light, it almost looks like he is blushing badly. Oh...  
I lean back slightly and look at his tense figure.

"I thought I was old to have a first kiss..."

Oh shit...

"You...You haven't have you?" I whisper. "You haven't been kissed?"

"Didn't take much to figure that out did it?" he didn't sound mad. Just tired.

Oh shit I've embarrassed him! How hasn't he been kissed?! I shudder as my body ached and I remember all to well the feeling of blood dripping into my mouth. Elfman's not like those guys...How come he hasn't been kissed and all of them have?

"Elfman" I reach forward and rest my hand on his shoulder, I try to shake off my drunkenness to be as serious as possible. "I-I'm sorry, I'd thought you'd been...I'd just assumed..."

"It's okay" he smiled at me. A genuine smile, but also a sad one. "It's not really surprising is it?" he gestured to his face and took another long pull from the whiskey.

"L-look, don't say that" I fumble over my words, mortified by my actions.   
Why did I even say that?! part of me did it for relief, the other did it for revenge at the only male in the room. And then the other little part of me was silently whispering that I wanted him jealous.   
"What I said doesn't mean anything!" I exclaim, knowing Elfman is eighteen closer to nineteen. 

"How would you know?" Elfman said not unkindly. I could almost see him thinking those two words. kiss and fourteen.

"L-look, I...I" I lean forward more to tell him something. Anything to make him feel better. As I lent forward, the bruises on my stomach pulled and my breath hitched.

"Ah!" I barely hear me lowly moan and the hard wooden floor thudded against my head. My legs hitched up and my arms curled around my tummy and pushed me into a ball. Pain shuddered through me and cramped tightly around me. 

"Ahh!" I moan.

"Shh" a deep voice rumbled. Beyond the pain I felt warm arms wrapped under my legs and back, and I was placed tenderly by the fireplace. I heard rustling and thick fur blankets were layered on me until I was cozy and warm and slowly the pain resided until my body ached with each throb of my heart.   
"You've drunken too much and moved to much" Elfman said close to my ear. "You need sleep".

"Ah" I reach out of the warm furs numbly to grab his hand. My hand fumbled over his large rough ones and clasp it tightly. I need to say sorry. 

"Do you want me to stay?" Elfman almost sounded sober. I want to say sorry to you! But I also don't want to be alone. My head nodded shakily and I felt him lower himself next to me with a fur to himself. There is barely a foot between us, but I couldn't find the strength to roll over and tell him that I never meant to embarrass him. The fire in front of me and the furs around me warmed me up and numbed my throbbing aching body. I could feel myself slipping into exhaustion, and I want to say something. Anything. But then his hand squeezed mine and I lost myself. But only to nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's long. Kill me. But I promise the rest will hopefully not be as long. Please message me or comment if you feel it is too long. Also comment if it is good too :) 
> 
> I'm also apologizing if you believe Evergreen's reaction to Elfman is unrealistic after her assault, I was thinking about that as I wrote this. But she trusts Elfman with her life and is also extremely attracted to him so I had to factor this in too. But I hope you enjoyed the fluff, and look forward to the next few chapters, I do. But read and or review, both are great. 
> 
> Lot's of love
> 
> San-of-the-forest
> 
> P.s. Sorry for those reading this translated. Elfman and Evergreen are drunk at the moment so I have slurred their words by adding duplicate letters. Sorry if this has inconvenienced you.


	17. Elfman

My head throbbed in pain like a huge iron spike was being shoved in it. Blinking blearily the mild light shinning through the window forced me to squeeze my eyes shut again. I groan lowly and press my face deep into the warm furs in front of me to muffle out the bright light.  
Shit...my head throbbed with pain and my chest even more so. The skin felt tight and rigid and when I moved I felt the weeping and fresh scabs break open again.

"Ow..."I moan. As I moaned the furs my face is buried in moved slightly. I blink and pull back a bit. Sunlight made my eyes throb painfully and after a few minutes they finally adjusted enough to see. The fire has burned down to smoldering embers and in front of that...A warm bundled body was barely an inch away from my own. Warm puffs of breath floated out from the north end of the bundle and I peer closer.

Ever...despite how incredibly drunk I got the night wasn't lost on me. I remember her hatred, her anger at the Raijinshuu, her words about me, and finally...the first kiss. I thought that I was so drunk last night, but clearly not enough to forget that bit.

"Everybody is having their first kiss at thirteen or even twelve" I remember her words. She was oblivious to my awkwardness, and obviousness. I don't hold that against her, I'm not even mad. It's just it was salt in a wound because she is right. Everyone in the guild has had them at that age. Loki, definitely. Gray, certainly. Natsu, most likely. Me? Not a chance. It makes me feel so isolated and depressed, I know Mira definitely has. Lisanna, I can't guarantee it but I'm sure sure she has too. And Ever...Ever is the icing on the cake. She went into detail about her first kiss and made me feel inadequate about me and my virgin lips. Virgin lips...the thought should feel pure and untouched. But the thought is as scathing as a hot blade and made me feel lonely. My virgin lips feel out of date and unwanted, like their untouched qualities were never supposed to last this long.

I wonder if I will ever be kissed...I thought and studied the warm mass in front of me. Great, all aboard the pity train! I think sourly. There is part of me that I don't want to acknowledge, the part of me that was hoping to be kissed that night. The way she looked so distressed about embarrassing me about it, I was hoping...But that is unrealistic and wrong after what she has been through. Also it would be nothing but a pity kiss. Not a warm genuine kiss that I hope for and even spend nights imagining. Most guys imagine hot sex and how many girls they can lay. I just imagine what it would feel like to have that kiss from someone that wants to give it, with no ulterior motive. Pretty pathetic right?  
I sigh and push myself up to shake of my self pity. It isn't appropriate right now and certainly isn't helping this job move along. I lean over slightly to look at Ever's face. It is black and blue and swollen. Anger boiled in me and a sense of tragedy. No one should ever touch her face like that. And for punches to create bruises this brutal, there had to be a lot of power behind the punch. I gently push her hair out of her face and jump when I see her eyes are open and staring out into the fireplace.

"Ever...I'm sorry if I woke you" I stammer, frozen in place.

"I hardly slept..." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. We were quiet for a few long moments and then I couldn't help myself.

"How are you feeling. Is there anything I can get you?"

"I feel sore and like shit, and I don't want anything" she sits up uneasily and pulls on her glasses. They were new ones but did nothing to hide her bruises. When she turned to me, my hand reached out automatically and grazed my fingers on one of the few places of clear skin. Her skin is velvety soft...   
How can someone do this to her?! I thought angrily. Her hand reached up and pulled away my own to release it on the ground.

"I'm sorry" I say.

"You're saying that a lot. Don't be, you mean only kindness" she said quietly. Her eyes are so dead and somber like any happiness is sucked out of them. I wish for anything in those eyes, even anger, hatred, sadness. But they seemed so hollow. She moved her jaw to say something and then flinched in pain.

"We will go to Gnash and get something for the pain" I tell her and stumble to my feet. My head swam painfully and I grab the fireplace's mantle to stop myself from falling.

"That's right, we have tattoos to get" Evergreen stood up too and shuddered on her feet.

"Look Ever, we won't get them if you don't want to" I say.

"Why wouldn't I want them?" she asks in a monotone voice. Where is her spark? Her arrogance? Her confidence?  
Pinned to the snow down a dark alley! I thought and squeezed my hands into fists.

"I'm not saying- I just..." I fumble for words and hiss at the ground before looking up. "Just don't feel as if it is necessary to do this". I myself am nervous to get a tattoo that I don't know what it will look like.

"Maybe I want them" she said but it sounded more like a question than a statement. "What time is it?" she sighs. I turn and squint at the clock on the wall and it is currently six thirty in the morning.

"Six thirty".

"We are probably late..." Ever mutters and without a second glance she shuffles stiffly into her bedroom. Before she closes the door she peeks at me from the corner of her eye. "Don't eat anything for breakfast, Gnash said not to".

"Don't think I can..." I turn away sadly and go for my own bedroom.

*** 

The snow from last night wasn't light and even I was struggling through it. Everything is too bright and my eyes throbbed even more so in pain. Though I am always watching Ever, and that is most painful of all. She struggled through the snow much more than I, a deep hood covered her face to hide it from any villagers who would see it. But even so I can hear her grunt in pain and walk with stiff legs through the snow. I saw how badly they were scratched up and bruised, this must be hard for her.

I wanted to stop my walking and offer to carry her. But I know she won't agree, not while we are within the village. The village is still asleep, only the butcher was beginning his bloody work and the first puff of smoke from the smith can be seen.  
I wonder how Rojin is....Yesterday the boy has seen more horrors than anyone his age has the right to see.

And you...I look at Ever and her stiff and painful movements. She hasn't cried. She hasn't allowed herself to cry about her pain and humiliation. She isn't letting the shock set in and is trying to ignore that what happened last night happened. We've gotten so close the two of us, because of the two of us being on the mission we have learned when we are sad, angry, hurt and in need of comfort. I have learnt her insecurities as she has learnt mine, and it has made me really aware of just how...delicate the both of us are. And it makes me want to help her all the more, but I can't if she doesn't allow herself to recognize what happened. I had deliberately avoided the alley where I left Logan's remains. My feet were moving before my brain could catch up, and the next thing I knew. We walk towards the long gravel path at the entrance to the village. I had to keep my pace incredibly slow for Ever to keep up. She altered between shuffling and limping through the snow in obvious pain. I wanted to offer my services right now but she wouldn't accept until we're out of the village. Even then she mightn't at all. As we crossed, the border lit up bright blue with the rune language and the entrances guard let us pass. There was seven of them, all with bright blonde hair, but Ever didn't even acknowledge them.

I see, she is uncomfortable around men that look like Logan. It is better than her being afraid of every single man to walk the planet, but still made me sad. I heard a familiar caw behind me, and before I knew it something heavy thudded on my shoulder. I jump in surprise and turn to see Ugly balancing himself on my shoulder.  
"You damn bird" I growl but let him sit there. We trudge up the path for a couple hundred meters, just behind a pine tree on the path when I stop and release her arm. The guards can't see us...

"Hmm?" she grunted and regarded me beneath her hood.

"Here" I crouch down and hold my arms out backwards. There was silence for a few seconds and then the gravel crunched and cold mass in slightly wet clothes clambered awkwardly onto my back. Ugly cawed angrily and flapped up in the sky to fly above us. I lock my hands and stand up, easing back slightly so she won't fall off. My chest burned in agony as my muscles stretched to accompany the weight, but I bear it unflinchingly and walk easily up the gravel.

"Thank you..." Ever's breath was warm on my ear and goosebumps ran up and down my flesh. I grunt in reply to hide my flustered breath. Her head easily leaned against my shoulder and her arms wrapped around my neck. My heart palpitated, but after a couple of seconds I steady it. Despite the pain in my chest, her weight and warm hands made it all worth it. But still the walk seemed to go too fast. I trudge through the snow and past the pine trees with branches so sharp I could impale myself and spied Gnash's hut.

"Are you ready?"

"I don't think it matters" she replied sadly. I miss the fire in her voice. She doesn't seem her without it. I say nothing and trudge through the thick foot deep snow and stumble awkwardly onto the lopsided porch.

"Are you alright from here?" I ask and crouch lower so she can slide off.

"That also doesn't matter"

I sigh and nod somberly. "Okay..." I knock on the door. It groans open as soon as I touch it and a deep grinding noise echoed from the chamber at the end of the hall. Our crow flaps his immense wings and lands on the post just outside the hut to scream ominously.

"Come here" Gnash's rough voice echoed from the chamber.

I swallow nervously and approach first. My breath was a cloud of mist outside of the hut, but inside it felt even denser and thicker as it floated around my head. I push aside the dirty brown curtain that acted as a door and gaped at the table in front of me. Large binding straps were on the table, one at the head space two on each side of the table, one for each arm. And a big one at the very end made for legs. Next to the table, Gnash cleaned huge bone needles of different shapes and sharpness, and a huge glass jar of swirling black ink sat next to her. Also next to her was a large round shape object covered in a veil. I swear I can see something glint at me from it. As soon as Ever entered the room, Gnash stood up and went to us. She cocked her head at me and Gnashed her teeth.

"You are more hurt than you were yesterday" she growled. I say nothing about my burn wounds and she turns to Ever. Leaning down she grips the edge of her hood with terrifyingly long fingers and pulls it back. In the poor lighting and insidious room, Ever's face looked more brutalized than ever before.  
She pauses for a long period and glares at her face.

"How did this happen?" she demanded. When Ever said nothing she turned to me. "None of you are very chatty this morning...What happened?!"

"It doesn't matter... We are here for tattoos" Ever sighed morosely.

"And healing" I interrupt and point at Ever.

Gnash was silent for a second and then nods. "Very well. Evergreen, you can wait outside I will do Elfman first-"

"Wait!" I interrupt. "Evergreen should go first. She is-"

"-Not as hurt as you are. Your wounds can get infected. Her's can't, so hurry up and sit down. After you wounds are healed I will start on your tattoo".

I turn around, annoyed and exasperated. Ever deserved to have her bruises fixed first. They cause me much more pain than these ones do. But as I turned, Ever was already leaving without so much as a word. My heart sunk and I watched her go. A cold, massive and clawed hand dropped on my shoulder and guided me towards the table. I sat down solidly with anxiety twisting my heart. So many things were making it so hard to concentrate on remaining calm. Ever's plight, and pain. The Draugr trying to slaughter the village and possibly whole island. The First One. And now a tattoo...

"Take your shirt off" Gnash flicked her fingers in and upwards direction and eyed me coolly. In the dark morning light, her face paint and black eyes looked all the more sinister.

"You should've done Evergreen first!" I snap and grunt in pain as my thick coat and woolen shirt pinch my bandages as I removed them. Gnash said nothing and began to easily remove my tight bandages with her sharp nails. After the bloodied and crusty material was off she picked up a huge glass clever and pressed the blade gently against my chest. A thin cut opened and blood seeped onto the blade making runes on the glass glow red. Using the blade, she sliced away my stitches like they were made from butter and began to wipe the blade up and down my chest. An awkward and almost painful tingling prickled my chest and I look down to watch as my muscles and skin began to knit themselves back together. Watching the entire process was disturbing.

"How was Evergreen hurt?" Gnash asked quietly. Sick rose in my throat and I look at the floor, my hands trembling in rage.  
"...for a person that idolizes the virtues of men, you seem to look down on them a lot" Evergreen's words replayed in my head.

"It is not for me to tell..." I answer thickly. Gnash paused for a second and looked into my eyes.

"Very well then" she waved her knife over my chest and stomach for a few more minutes and then sat up. My skin itched and tingled and when I looked down my chest wound and burns began to slide away into nothingness.  
"Get on your stomach" my stomach pinched uncomfortably but I lie down. Thick leather straps cinch tightly across my legs and then on each arm. And before my head was strapped down Gnash crouched beside me.  
"These runes will help. This isn't just some gaudy body art. To help you, I will thicken your defenses so it will be harder to have damage inflicted. I will also increase you body's speed. You shall be able to move faster than you have in your life".

"Faster than lightning?" I snort.

"Depends" Gnash replied. She secured my head and I nervously watched the wall. Anxiety built in me and I thought about my treasured sisters. What would they think when they see my tattoo? Would they be angry? Would they judge it? Unease built more and more and I realize I don't even know what it will look like!  
I turn to ask Gnash about it when I see her connect a thin hose to a needle the length of my finger. That hose was stuck deep into the ink pot and began to pump the ink up to the needle. The bone point whirled around in circles so fast it became a blur and sounded like a mini chainsaw roaring into life. Gnash walked forward with the needle and ran her hand over the bare flesh of my back. Her hand was even more freezing than the room, and goosebumps sprang up on my back.  
"Try not to twitch" was all she said and the buzzing needle hovered over the middle of my spine.

"Gnash, what are you-"I began and then the needle broke my skin. "FUCK!" I screamed. I would have my burns any day over this. I felt my magic in my body stretch and wither as her magic needle tugged at it and pushed fiercely. It's almost like her bone needle was pulling out bits of it, and replacing it! And as she pulled it out her ink coated it and trapped it against my skin. Agony wracked my body and it felt like an age before she began to move the needle.

***

"Alright you are done" Gnash's voice was hardly a whisper in my ear. She removes the straps from my body but all I could do was gape at the ceiling. She had to turn me over once she finished with my back, so she could continue the tattoo on my chest and arms. The pain is fresh and hot all over my body and I could hardly move. 

Shit...Shit...I lift my arm weakly and my hand blurred in front of me.

"Come one. Get up already" Gnash's scary hand gripped my forearm and hauled me up.

"Ah..." I groan in reply and breath shakily on the table. "How...How does it look?" I ask. My voice is strained and hoarse from pain. Gnash picked up a sheet of worked bronze from her bench and gave it to me. I pause for a second and hold the cool metal in hand almost reverently and then hold it up to my chest.

"If you want to see your back, tap the sheet" Gnash walked out of the room to clean her needles.

"...Holy shit" I whisper in shock. Thick Celtic patterned lines coiled and wove like snakes around my biceps and up my shoulders. They went as far as my elbow and are about an inch thick. The Celtic pattern was a triple plat that was pure white against the black edges that bordered each line. They stretched up to my collar bone where they followed the bones shape exactly and covered it. Even the little dip right bellow my throat.   
"Mirajane is going to kill me..." I breath in awe and touch the winding and spinning tattoos on my arms. The spun faster under my touch and almost hypnotically, but the more I looked the more proud I was of them. There is your back too...I swallow and touch the bronze sheet. It ripple like water under my touch and after a few seconds I was looking at the back of me, but with one huge difference.  
"HOLY SHIT!" I shout. A huge swatch of black ink stretched up from the middle of my spine and back, to each of my shoulder in a huge triangle. The edges are frames with the same rolling and rippling triple plat, but the rest of the mass of ink was filled to the very edges with a massive Celtic infinity knot that flexed and wove inside and outside itself.

"Oh shit..." I gasped and dropped the sheet. "She is going to kill me...She is so going to kill me" the thought of my big sister wrath at my tattoo was terrifying.

"Alright Elfman, leave" Gnash walked in with a fresh set of needles and Evergreen in tow. Her bruised eyes widened in shock when she saw my body and I felt my cheeks flush hot under her gaze.

"What?!" I ask defensively and cross my arms.

"It's..." she trails off and approaches. I nearly flinch as her hands touch my arm. Her hands are so smooth and warm on my skin. They sent bolt of electricity up my back. She pulls away my arms and gazes at my collar bone, but I look at her eyes. They are still so tired looking and empty...It makes me so sad.  
"Is there more?" she asks softly. Her fingers graze gently along my collar bone, tracing the moving patterns in an almost pleasurable way.

"Ah, yeah there is"I swallow and spun around on the table to show her my back. The warmth of her fingers on my chest felt so nice.

I...I can't feel this. This is wrong! I grit my teeth and in my annoyance I didn't hear Ever gasp at my back. Her soft graze gently over my skin, and my breath hiccups in my lungs as little sparks seem to dance on my skin where ever she removes her hand.

"Wow..." Ever breathed and traced the swirling and flexing mark on my back. I turn back around slowly and look back into her eyes. They are full of interest and wonder and I couldn't stop admiring the new glow in them. A smile twitched the corners of my mouth, I am too happy to see that light back. But then her warm caramel eyes look into mine and the light fades all too soon.   
"Oh..." she sighs and backs away. As she steps into the shadows, her face becomes more bruised than anything.

"Elfman..." Gnash's voice was almost softer and she nodded her head in the direction of the door.

I nod too. It was time to go. I stand up and was about to walk past Ever when I stop. "You will be alright" I say quietly and begin to leave. I swung on my coat only, and even then my back stung as fabric brushed over the tender skin. I walk out and into the corridor, and my breath began to plume in great clouds of mist again. "You will be alright"...

Will she? The spark and light in her eyes fade as soon as there is a spark in them. I remember the way her face was more bruised than it is healed and natural. Is that how she feels too? I walk outside and the cold freezing air immediately attacks my bare chest. I know it was a foolish idea to not where my warm shirt, but I know if I did my skin would hurt much more than it is now. I sit on the steps and think of her bruises. I think of her pain and how she must feel even though she looks like she is trying not feel anything.   
I wish it was her family here instead of me...I think.

"I don't want to drink with Freed, I want to drink with you!" ....I don't know if she wishes it though. Ugly cawed loudly from the post and hopped onto the veranda next to me.

"Have you got any ideas bird?" I ask and scratch him behind the head. His feathers fluff up as I scratch him and he shook his head vigorously to try to move my finger to the best spot. 

"I take that as a no" I sigh and look up at the sky. I was inside for a while I realize as the grey slate coloured sky was now much darker than it was when I first went into the hut.

I lifted my arm and began to admire my tattoos. They are actually pretty cool. I mean they do mean something, they are making me stronger and are proving the dedication I go to to finish jobs an help others. Hell even the pain I went through-

"AAHHHHH!" A feminine scream pierced the air. I was on my feet in seconds and ran for the door and my body moved faster than should ever be possible. I crash into the door in my sudden rush of speed and Ugly screamed in fright and swooped around the air in erratic circles. Ever screamed for a long moment but I couldn't go through that door.

"It's a just the needle...it is just the needle" I breathe and try the door knob. It is stuck in place. I tug at the door with all my strength but it refuses to budge.  
Can't I go in there just to help her?! I kick the door in my rage. Gnash locked me out so I wouldn't interrupt.

"Dammit!" I kicked the door and my tattoos spun faster in my rage. But I couldn't do anything. She cried again in pain. And her whimpers rang in my ears like bells. I clamped my hands over my ears to block it out, but I couldn't! Just hearing her in pain made me scared. A memory flashed behind my eyes of a man with a ruined face forcing a kiss and his hands on her.

"SHIT" I swear and collapse on the veranda. I bury my face in my hands and pray for her pain to end, but it was many hours before my wish was granted.

***

The sky is black as ebony and I couldn't even see the tree in the darkness. There was no light outside, no moon or stars just like last night. And not even a light outside for me. My face was still buried in my arms when her cries of pain finally stop. The cold has bitten deep into my bones and it took an age before my head seemed to lift itself. I stagger to my feet, my arms trembling like madness and lurch towards the door.

"Eva..." my breath rattled and icy wind lanced my lungs. I grip the doorknob, frozen with ice and hope against hope that it would open. It is so cold....

"Come one, please..." I whisper and twist. And finally the door ground open, and the first thing I heard was sobbing. Something pinched heavily and I moved shakily forward. The sobbing grew louder and a new voice added into the mix. Gnash's harsh voice was murmuring in a...comforting way?   
The filthy curtain was all that separates me from the voices, but I couldn't bring myself to barge in there. So I knock harshly on the wall and wrap my arms around my chest to stop the shivering. Gnash pulled aside the curtain in a second and with a expression of...bewilderment?

Oh no...  
"What happened?!" I hissed through chattering teeth. She just shrugged in a confused way and stepped aside for me. I stepped past her hurriedly and screeched to a halt when I saw her.  
Oh no...  
What I saw made me blush and what to help her more than ever. Her haunched crying form was sitting on the table in only her bra and underwear. The cold must be attacking her but she did nothing to warm herself, but that wasn't the biggest thing. It was her tattoo....

On her stomach there was a small Celtic star that rotated and moved in slow hypnotic ways. But the biggest part began at her collar bone. A basic knot made of the same triple platt as the ones on me began at the hollow of her collar bone. It then split off into two, inch thick lines of the same design and moved down and in between her cleavage on either side. They moved apart and followed her rib cage symmetrically then moved apart further to traced the curve of her waist. I blushed deeply when they flowed over her hip bones in an entrancing way and plunged below her knicker line where they reconnected....

She whimpered pathetically and didn't seem to notice my presence and pity surged in me like a tidal wave. Furious, I span around and pushed aside the curtain to the hallway where Gnash was beginning to move into a separate room. I grab her cold long arm and she spins on me in a second with her teeth bared.

"Why did you do that to her?!" I hiss furiously.

"I don't choose the tattoo!" Gnash ripped her arm out of my grip and stalked off into the separate room.  
I grit my teeth and slip back into the room, turning quietly I slip off my jacket and let the cold air attack my chest. Her tattoo is huge, mine is massive on my body but hers covers the biggest part of her body. I pity her. Her privacy and dignity was invaded and brutalised last night, and now so again with a tattoo that she didn't know what it would look like and didn't even want.

"Ever?" I ask cautiously. She sniffled into her hand again and tried to rub away the tears on her face. I don't think she heard me. I approach tentatively and gingerly sit down on the table next to her. I try not to look at her body, but it is hard! I was relieved to see the bruises on her face and legs were gone, and no doubt the ones on her stomach, but that wasn't the thing I noticed. She truly is a gorgeous woman. In the gloomy light, her skin almost glowed with a pearlescent sheen. The length of her shapely legs curled up under her. The deep dip of her waist and curve of her hips and how perfectly her breasts filled her out. The tattoos contrasted with her skin beautifully, and some would say that her trembling sad form would diminish her grace. But she is a quiet griever, subtle pretty and not wishing to be seen. I was loud and obvious even when I don't want to be. My blush creeps from my face down my neck. Shaking myself I place the coat over her shoulders.

She sat bolt right up as soon as the warm fabric touched her skin and stared at me accusingly behind her glasses.

"S-sorry" I begin to push myself off the table.

"I fucking hate this..." a thick voice whispered behind me. I turn slowly and she pulls the coat tighter around her.

"I hate this fucking crying, and being so fucking weak!" Ever hissed and buried her face in her arms.

"You're not weak!" I say and sit back down. "You're not!"

"But it happened!" she span on me with fresh tears running down her face. "H-he attacked me and t-tried to use me and I couldn't stop it!"

"Ever..." I rub my face and think of what to say. I'm no good with words and I have no idea what will offend her right now.

"And it happened!" she squeaked and her face began to break no matter how many times she tried to stop it. "It really happened! And I thought if I ignore it, it will disappear and I could pretend it didn't happen...But it did!" she whispered and bound herself in her arms. "It did..."

My face felt pale and shivers wracked my body from the cold. I...I don't know how to handle this! On the boat she was upset for a completely different reason. The only way I know how to comfort someone is physically, like hugging and such. But is comfort like that appropriate? There is only one way to try...  
I slowly reach out and brush my fingers against hers. They are cold and immediately stiffen at my touch but made no move to rid themselves of me.

"You are not weak and if you still believe you are....well you aren't weak to me".

She blinked as if to process my words and I gently rubbed my fingers into the top of her hand. Something softened in her eyes and she rubbed the tears away more fiercely. 

"Thank you...That means a lot to me" she sniffled and rubbed away the last of her tears. I continue to rub her hand and palm, I try to ease out her distress and she lets me. Her body shuffles over and leans herself against my arm and I try not to blush to badly. After all, she is practically naked...  
I try not to watch her as she looks at the tattoo on her stomach, but it is very distracting as she traces the ink on her stomach, hips and waist. Very distracting. She must've felt my discomfort and awkwardness because she soon stops her examining and looks at my own face.

"They don't come off..." she sighs sadly and gazes at the pure skin on her arm.

"For life" I agree. She shifts again so her head lolled on my shoulder and I tentatively wrapped arm around her clothed shoulders. Safe her shoulders are. Not showing skin. I don't know how she feels about my comfort, I still firmly believe that being with a man would be one of the last things she wants. But she just leans more into my arms, her body warmth sent fire to scorch my skin and her fingers reach almost nervously up to touch my collarbone. My skin prickled like crazy and I watched the runes on my arms dance like madness, but she just continued to run her small fingers along my tattoos...

"Elfman I'm sorry" she suddenly said.

"What?! why?" I ask and felt my skin relax as she removed her hand from my chest.

"I embarrassed you last night..." Evergreen looked away ashamedly.

"Oh" I felt my face heat again. Why did you have to mention the first kiss again...

"I didn't...I didn't mean to embarrass you. I don't even know why I said it!" she grimaces and pulls the jacket tighter over her.

"Look it's alright" I smile. "It's not like you said it really loudly in front of the guild". Her face pulls lower and she sighed depressingly. I wanted to slap myself, saying at least you didn't yell it in the guild still means she said something.  
"No, no what I mean is..." I sigh and rub my face.  
"What I mean is, when it happens it happens" I smile and give her a squeeze. "It doesn't matter really" only it does. She gave me an odd look like there was something up with my face. I shifted uncomfortably under her stare and decided the wall looked more interesting. Well it didn't stare back... Ever's warm body shifted against my side and her head rested more securely against my chest. It felt really nice and good. I wrap my arm around her waist now and more securely, her warmth more satisfying than any fire.

"Okay" she murmured. And I felt like it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is soooooooo long dear god. I know you all said you like the long chapters but they seriously take it put of you. Well I hope you liked this chapter, I didn't give Elfman and Ever tattoos purely for the sake of them. They actually will help them in the future. Speaking of tatts the image above is the design on Elfman's back but flip it upside down. So read, review and enjoy.
> 
> Lots of love   
> San-of-the-forest

**Author's Note:**

> Why hello avid Elfever readers. Thank you for reading this chapter, it is my third Elfever fanfic, and this one has got me all excited. This chapter may be lacking in romance but it is a wonderful slow burn this story. Thank you for reading and I shall post a second chapter hopefully soon.
> 
> San-of-the-forest.


End file.
